


Total Eclipse

by silveritas



Series: Total Eclipse 'Verse [1]
Category: CW Network RPF, Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Implied Mpreg, M/M, Self-Lubrication, Soulmates, Werewolf Mates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-29
Updated: 2014-07-29
Packaged: 2018-02-10 20:49:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 26,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2039619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silveritas/pseuds/silveritas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For Jensen, life is about moving around.  Orphaned at a very young age, his Uncle Jeff took him in and raised him, but his life has never been some apple-pie-white-picket-fence American Dream.  Jeff is one of the best hunters in the country, and he's been grooming Jensen to join him on the hunt when he's old enough.  Jensen's onboard with this until they move during Jensen's senior year to a small town in Texas with a supernatural problem.  Jensen never knew that his whole life would change the day he met Jared Padalecki and nothing could have prepared him for it.</p><p>Jared, on the other hand, knows exactly what he wants, and from the moment they meet, he wants Jensen.  He knows that his life is nothing like his mate’s, but he’s willing to be patient and wait for Jensen.  It won’t be easy, but it’ll certainly be worth it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

  


 

 

 

“Dude, check out Harris,” Chad says, slapping Jared on the shoulder as he picks out the books he’ll need for first and second period from his locker.

Jared cuts Chad a look that goes unnoticed, though, as he’s got his eyes glued to Danneel’s chest.  Of course.

“Have some respect, Chad,” Jared admonishes as he rolls his eyes at his best friend and goes back to loading books into his backpack.

“You can’t tell me you don’t find her tempting,” Chad says.  “Sweet little beta like her?”

“We’ve been over this, man,” Jared sighs, shutting his locker with a clang and shouldering his bag.  “Not my type.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Chad waives him off.  “More for me then.  But don’t worry, ladies!” he announces to the hallway.  “There’s more than enough Chad to go around!”

Jared laughs at the utter lack of attention the rest of the students give him.  They’ve all been going to school together since they were quite young and everyone is used to Chad’s antics by now, though Jared does catch a dramatic eye roll from Sophia Bush before she flips her hair over her shoulder and turns her back to them.  Jared wonders briefly if Chad’s ever noticed the way she looks at him, if he’s ever scented her.  He’s pretty sure his best friend would have told him if he had.

Maybe she’d be good for him.  As the warning bell rings, he decides to file it away for later use and get them both to class before they get into trouble on the first day of school.  Again.

“Better luck next time, buddy,” Jared says, clapping Chad on the shoulder and giving him a push toward their first class.

 

“Ladies, gentlemen, Mr. Murray, please settle down,” Mr. Manners says.

The class snickers a bit at Chad being singled out, but it does the trick and has him in his seat seconds later.

“Thank you all for being on time,” Manners says.  “I know you want to catch up from summer break, so I’ll make you a deal.  You give me a solid thirty minutes of your attention and I’ll let you do what you want for the rest of class, cool?”

There’s a rousing chorus of agreement and even Chad seems to be onboard.  Jared knew Mr. Manners’s class would be the right choice.  He’s notorious for demanding high standards of his students, but he’s also got a solid reputation for being pretty laid back.

Mr. Manners dives into the material head first.  Biology wasn’t Jared’s best subject freshman year, but stuffy old Mr. Anderson didn’t make it sound as awesome as Mr. Manners, and since Jared’s in the advanced placement program, he figured he’d give it another try.

So far AP Bio is shaping up to be pretty great.  They’re going to be dissecting cats and eyeballs and playing with chemicals.  He’s pretty excited about the whole thing and can’t wait to get into all of it.

He’s just leaning over, about to tag Chad to be his lab partner, when the door opens and Principal Beaver leads a new guy in.

At once, all of Jared’s senses go on high alert.  He almost feels like he’s gearing up for a fight, but he knows there’s no threat.  He can feel his wolf surge inside of him, clawing desperately to get out, and when he looks up, just for one second, he catches nervous green eyes before they look away, and in that moment Jared feels his blood catch fire in his veins.

He’s heard wolves talk about this before, but it can’t be, not in first period biology, and not with… he takes a deep breath, scenting the boy, and oh, god no.  Not with a human.  He did not just imprint on a human.

His father’s going to kill him.  Absolutely just kill him.

But this boy is so beautiful, and his scent, even with the alarming, utterly humanness of it, it’s still so right, so familiar, so enticing.  This boy smells like he belongs to Jared already.

“Dude,” Chad’s hand on his arm startles him, earning the blonde boy a muted snarl and flash of gold in his eyes that Chad ignores.  “You look like you’re about to wolf out.  You okay?”

“No, I mean yeah,” Jared says, blinking and shaking his head, trying to get some control back.

“What the hell was that?” Chad asks.

“Nothing,” Jared says.  “It was nothing.”

Chad looks like he wants to press further but he doesn’t, and Jared knows exactly why.

Most of the time he hates it, the deferment he receives, but sometimes he’s eternally grateful of the respect being the Alpha’s son commands.  And now is one of those times.

Jensen hates this.  He hates all of the moving, he hates starting at a new school every year, and he hates all of the curious looks he gets.  Being the new kid sucks out loud and he’d do anything to just stay in one place.

But it’s not his choice.  Until he turns eighteen, he’s still under his uncle’s guardianship and if Jeff says they have to move again, then he’ll suck it up and go.  But right now, he’ll settle for sulking his way through the rest of first period biology, refusing to meet the not so subtle glances of his new classmates.

He’s not here to make friends, he reminds himself.  He’s just here to suffer through and then do it all over again when they have to leave.

He’s not sure what makes him look, but he can’t help taking a glance over his shoulder only to meet an intense swirl of color coming from the gaze of a boy not far from him.  He’s never been looked at like that and he’s not sure he likes it.  He’s not sure he doesn’t like it either.  It’s just… different.

Jensen’s also not sure what that stare means.  In his experience it typically means someone wants to kill him or fuck him, neither of which anyone has been particularly successful with so far.  But this boy, there’s something else in his eyes, something almost reverent, but like he’s holding something back too.

It’s a bit unsettling, and even more so when Jensen finds he doesn’t mind the way the boy with a mop of dark hair and piercing eyes is looking at him.  But Jensen can’t seem to look away, entranced, his whole body reacting, vibrating with something he can’t quite describe.

The boy on the other side of his floppy-haired admirer grabs his attention and the eyes are gone, taking that weird buzzing feeling with them.  Jensen can’t fathom what just happened, what that was he felt sparking between them.  He’s never felt like that before.

He turns away just as his admirer laughs at something the other boy said, his mouth curving into a beautiful, open smile that makes Jensen’s pulse surge.  And no, not a good time for this shit to start happening.  No thank you.

He studiously glares a hole into his text for the rest of class, trying his hardest, as usual, to not exist to the public at large.  The last thing he wants to do is look like he’s the type of person who wants a friend.

He’s never been happier to hear a bell ring and he’s out of his seat before anyone else has a chance to move.  He can’t take the questions and if he can avoid talking to anyone that isn’t strictly necessary, then his day will have been considered a success.

He finds his locker easily enough and spins the combination that the secretary gave him this morning at registration.  He puts his biology book in, trades it for his government text, and shuts the door just as some tall blonde jock pushes up into his space.

“So you’re the new kid,” the guy says, looking him up and down.

It makes Jensen’s skin crawl.

“Can I help you?” Jensen asks in a decidedly unfriendly tone and he leans away from this space invader.

“Just trying to give you a proper welcome to our school,” the blonde says with a smile Jensen’s sure is charming to other people but just seems creepy to him.  “I’m Justin.”

“That’s nice,” Jensen dismisses him.

“That’s not how it goes,” Just says, crowding him.  “I’ve told you my name.  What’s yours?”

“None of your business,” Jensen snaps.  “Are we done?  I’ve got to get to class.”

Jensen turns and has to jump back so he doesn’t plow into a tall black kid that trades a look with the blonde.

“What’s the rush?” the blonde asks, spinning Jensen around.

Jensen glares at the hand on his shoulder.  He hates being touched by strangers.

“Get your hand off of me,” Jensen warns.

“What put you in such a bad mood?” the blonde demands.  “Here we are being all nice and friendly--”

“I said let go of me,” Jensen orders louder, trying to twist out of the blonde’s grip, but it’s impossibly tight.

He’s about to open his mouth to demand his release again when someone else comes up.  Great.  More buddies to help, is all he can imagine.

“Hartley, I believe he asked to be released,” the new boy says.

Jensen turns his head to find that it’s the guy with floppy hair from AP Bio that’s come to his rescue.   He’s not quite sure if he’s happy about this or not, but there is a burgeoning sense of relief in his chest that he’s not alone after all.

“I don’t believe it’s any of your business,” the blonde, Hartley, snaps.

“It is now,” the taller boy says, and Jensen might be hallucinating but there’s something else to his voice, something deep and full of power.  “Let him go and I’ll let this go.”

“Or what?” Hartley taunts.  “You going to go running to daddy?”

“Yes,” the tall boy answers and doesn’t sound one bit ashamed.  “You want to try me?  If I have to ask again, my father will hear all about this.”

Hartley looks angry then, his grip tightening on Jensen’s arm almost painfully before he lets go.

“This isn’t over,” he snarls at the taller boy and there’s a flash of something in his eyes.

“Yes, it is,” the taller boy says, staring Hartley down like he’s unimpressed, unintimidated by him.

“Come on,” Hartley says to his little group, breaking his stare with the taller boy and stalking off, the others in his company tossing a few dark looks their direction over their shoulders before they disappear down the hall.

Jensen can’t help but wonder what the hell all of that was about.  He knew teenage boys tried to be macho and start fights with each other, but that display was just ridiculous.

“Sorry about him,” the tall boy says, grabbing Jensen’s attention.

Jensen turns to him and watches his shoulders sink in as he makes himself appear smaller.  It’s a feat Jensen would never have believed possible after having seen him draw himself up to his full height and width mere moments ago.  He ponders for a moment why someone who can be so physically intimidating would rather appear all hang dog and slouched.

“Friend of yours?” Jensen asks in response, tilting his head the direction the blonde went.

“Not so much,” the boy shrugs.  “It’s a small town.  We all kind of grew up together, know each other.  Doesn’t mean we get along or that some people are total douches.”

“Got it,” Jensen says with a slight chuckle.  “And thanks.  For, you know, getting him to back off.  I was starting to think I’d have to throw down, and nothing ruins your first day at a new school like getting in a fight.”

“You do that often?” the tall kid asks.  “Start at new schools, not get into fights.”

“More than I’d like,” Jensen answers.

The tall boy fidgets for a second before sticking out an awkward hand.

“I’m Jared.”

“Jared,” Jensen repeats.  “Nice to meet you.  I’m Jensen,” he says, taking Jared’s hand.

“Jensen,” Jared echoes, smiling warmly and meeting Jensen’s eyes, holding his gaze.

There’s a flicker of something in that warm swirl of color, but it’s gone before he can register what it is.

“I hope you’re not too put off by Justin’s definition of a proper welcome, but if you’d be up for it, I could help you out if you need it, show you around and stuff,” Jared offers and he’s suddenly so shy and awkward about it that Jensen finds himself letting Jared guide him through the crowded hallways to his next class, the taller boy chattering the entire way.

He’s so taken by surprise to find himself already considering Jared a friend that it doesn’t even occur to him until halfway through English that he knows what those flashes of brightness in Jared and Justin’s eyes were.

Jesus, he thinks as he pales in his seat, glancing around to make sure no one’s watching him.  He doesn’t have to worry, though.  The new has worn off and it’s getting to be that time of day where everyone’s ready to crash.  He can freak out silently in his seat without anyone noticing, and it’s probably a good thing because now that he knows, he can’t focus on anything else.

Jared and Justin, without a doubt in his mind, are werewolves.

“Hey, Jared,” Danneel greets, leaning against his truck in the parking lot of the high school.

 

“Hey, Danni,” Jared gives her a smile.

 

He knows the second she sees right through him, her face changing immediately from happy to see him to we’ve got to talk.

 

“Let’s get in the truck first,” Jared says with a sigh, unlocking the doors with a press of the button and walking around to the driver’s side.

 

She lets him pull out of the parking lot and onto the highway before she breaks the silence and his almost uncontrollable thoughts.

 

“So,” she says casually.  “Planning on telling me what’s going on?  Or would you rather I just start guessing.”

 

Guessing never leads to anything good where Danneel is concerned, this Jared knows for sure.

 

“I imprinted today,” Jared just comes right out with it.

 

“Really?” she says, face breaking out in a smile that turns a bit dirty.  “Who’s the lucky wolf?”

 

“He’s human,” Jared confesses, putting a little of his alphaness into his voice to let her know how serious this is.  She doesn’t disappoint.  She never does.

 

“Oh,” Danneel says with as much understanding as he knows she can.

 

“I don’t know what to do, Danni,” Jared states, glancing at her for a second.  “I just smelled him and when we locked eyes… I just knew it.  And then Justin and Aldis were harassing him in the hallway.  Just had his hand on him, and I almost couldn’t stop myself from ripping it off.  I just, what if he doesn’t want me?  What if my father gets angry?”

 

“He won’t,” Danneel says.  “The Alpha loves you and he’ll want you to be happy.”

 

“What should I do?” Jared asks.  “What would you do if you were me?”

 

“I’d tell the Alpha, that’s for sure,” Daneel answers.  “Tell him everything.  And then I’d take it slow, try to get to know your mate, woo him and all that crap.”

 

“You’re so romantic,” Jared scoffs.

 

“Part of my charm,” Danneel snarks.  “But seriously.  Tell your dad, and then just be your normal, friendly self and Jensen won’t be able to resist you.”

 

“How’d you know his name?” Jared asks.

 

“Please,” Danneel snorts indelicately.  “Justin and that gang of idiots that worship him were bitching about it all through fifth period and I’m not half as dumb as I look.”

 

They lapse into a momentary silence, Jared concentrating on the road ahead as Danneel slides a hand over to grasp his, squeezing it a few times in support.

 

“Don’t worry about it so much,” Danneel advises.  “It’ll all be fine.  You’ll see.”

 

And she’s just confident enough that he lets himself believe her.

 

 

 

“Hey, Dad, we need to talk,” Jared says as he enters the study.

 

The Alpha looks up from his computer and Jared knows his father can tell in that exact moment that something is weighing on Jared’s mind.  He just hopes that his father understands.

 

“Of course,” Gerald agrees, coming over to sit with Jared on the small sofa in the cozy room.  “What’s going on?”

 

“I… I imprinted today on my mate,” Jared confesses.

 

“That’s good news, son!” Gerald smiles broadly.  “Why do you look so unhappy?”

 

“He’s human,” Jared says.

 

“And you were afraid that I wouldn’t approve?” Gerald asks and Jared nods.  “I see.”

 

“Are you disappointed?” Jared ventures to ask.  It would kill him if his father said yes.

 

“Jared, imprinting on your mate is the most amazing thing that can happen to you,” Gerald says.  “And I don’t care if your mate is human or wolf, so long as you’re happy.  Are you?”

 

“Yes,” Jared answers.  “He’s beautiful, Dad.  He’s smart and he’s… I don’t think his life has been very easy or that people have been very nice to him.”

 

“You know what that means, right?” Gerald asks.

 

“I think so,” Jared answers.

 

“It means you need to take it slow and always be good to him,” Gerald tells him.  “Let him lead and make all of the decisions, and if he accepts you and wants to start a life with you, then it will be your job to make sure your life together is peaceful and happy.  Such is an alpha’s promise to their beta.”

 

“I understand,” Jared says.

 

“Good,” Gerald smiles.  “Then tell me more about this boy.”

 

 

“How was your first day?” Jeff asks as soon as he’s through the door.

 

“Fine,” Jensen answers, glancing up from his homework in time to see his uncle dump a heavy duffle bag on the couch and shrug out of his jacket.

 

“Did you make any friends?” Jeff asks.

 

“Sort of,” Jensen replies.

 

“Sort of?”

 

“He’s just a really friendly guy that’s in most of my classes,” Jensen says.  “Some guys were bothering me and he helped out.”

 

“Bothering you how?  And helped you out?  Haven’t I taught you how to take care of yourself?” Jeff demands.

 

“It was nothing, just some guys being dicks and Jared stepped in before it got physical,” Jensen sighs.  “I don’t want to be that guy again, even if I could have laid them all out.  And the guy that helped me must be student council president or something because he knows everyone and he’s just… It’s going to sound odd but he’s just really happy all the time.”

 

“Well, I’m glad you made a friend and that you’re blending in,” Jeff says.  “Did anything else happen?  Anything weird?”

 

“Weird?” Jensen asks.  “Like our kind of weird?”

 

“Yeah,” Jeff replies.

 

“No,” Jensen shakes his head.  “It was like every other school I’ve been to.  The teachers were boring, the girls were snotty, and the guys were jerks.”

 

“Except for this Jared kid,” Jeff says.

 

“Which is no cause for concern,” Jensen argues, lying through his teeth.  “Maybe he’s on drugs, or maybe he’s just well-adjusted.  Who knows.”

 

“But you’ll keep an eye out?” Jeff says.

 

“It’d help if I knew what I was looking for,” Jensen says.  
  
“You’ll know it when you see it,” Jeff says and leaves him for the night.

 

 

 

“Hey!” Jared calls to Jensen, smiling as wide as he can and making his way to the boy.

 

“Hey,” Jensen replies, though not as enthusiastically.  Jared thinks maybe he should dial it back in the future unless he wants to scare Jensen off of him.  And that just wouldn’t do.

 

“How was your first day?” Jared asks as he falls in step with Jensen, their shoulders bumping slightly.  Jared relishes the contact.

 

“Oh, uneventful,” Jensen responds.  “After the incident with the other guy, at least.”

 

“That’s good,” Jared gives him a little smile, glancing over at Jensen.

 

As he looks his future mate over, something catches his eye.  Jensen’s got on a green plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up to just below his elbows, but there’s a hint of swirling, spiky black peeking out from under the rolled hem of his left sleeve.

 

“What’s that?” Jared asks, reaching out and moving the fabric a little, trying to get a better look.

 

“Oh, that?” Jensen responds, pulling his arm away and trying to stretch the sleeve down over the marking to cover it again.  “It’s… it’s just something… uh, a family thing.”

 

“Can I see it?” Jared asks.  “You don’t have to show me if you don’t want to.  I’m just curious.  I understand that we all have our secrets.”

 

“No, it’s—it’s okay,” Jensen says, looking around the hallway before moving them over to a corner and pulling his sleeve up the few inches it takes to reveal a stark black tattoo to Jared.

 

He instantly knows what the mark is and what it’s for.  He’d be a terrible future Alpha if he didn’t.  It’s a pentagram inside a ring of black fire, an anti-possession mark that protects its wearer from demons.  It’s the mark of a very smart hunter.

 

Jared controls his reaction.   A mark like that can only mean that Jensen or his uncle are here for something supernatural.  But he doesn’t believe Jensen has anything to do with it.  Sure Jensen is withdrawn and suspicious and wary, but he’s not behaving like hunters do, he’s not searching for his target.  He’s just surviving high school.  And Jared will trust him until he gives him reason not to.

 

“That’s cool,” Jared comments, reaching a finger out to touch it, staying away from the undoubtedly pure silver ring on his hand.  It definitely wouldn’t do to out himself to a hunter’s  charge in the hallway of the school because he stupidly brushed Jensen’s ring and burned himself.

 

“Uh, thanks,” Jensen mutters, covering the mark back up quickly.

 

“I don’t have anything cool like that, but,” Jared pauses, pulling the corner of his shirt up to show Jensen his hip.

 

He runs his finger across the only scar he has, a jagged line from when he challenged his older brother and won the right to lead the Pack.  Jeff had admitted later that he felt bad about the scar, that he hadn’t meant to hurt Jared like that, but that he had to make it convincing.  It was hardly secret between them that Jeff didn’t want the position of Pack Alpha, but law dictated that the only way for the heir apparent to not become Pack Alpha was if the heir presumptive were to challenge him to a fight and win.

 

“How’d you get that?” Jensen asks, touching the light pink line softly.

 

Jared wants to purr in happiness that his mate is touching him, but he holds it back.

 

“My brother,” Jared states.  “He didn’t mean it, but we’re pretty rough with each other.  It was bound to happen eventually.”

 

“Looks like it hurt,” Jensen comments, pulling his hand away much to Jared’s disappointment.

 

“Nah,” Jared says as he drops his shirt.  “But it bled like crazy.  Totally ruined my favorite shirt.”

 

“That’s what brothers are for, right?” Jensen asks with a faint smile.

 

“Apparently,” Jared chuckles.  “My sister thinks we’re idiots.  And she’s probably not wrong.”

 

“You have a sister too?” Jensen asks.

 

“Yep, younger sister and older brother,” Jared answers.

 

“Where’s your brother now?” Jensen asks.

 

“He graduated a few years back, and he’s been traveling around,” Jared says.  “I think the last time he called he was in Seattle, though I have no idea why.”

 

“Maybe the weather?” Jensen offers and Jared laughs again.

 

“Maybe,” Jared agrees.  “How about you?  Brothers, sisters?”

 

“No, just me,” Jensen says and a sadness comes over him.  “Just me and my uncle.”

 

“Oh,” Jared responds.  “Well, if you ever want any siblings, you’re more than welcome to mine.  Or Chad.”

 

“Oh, hell no,” Jensen says vehemently, shaking his head and holding his hands out.  “That one is all yours.”

 

“Damn,” Jared says, acting disappointed.  “I’ll never be rid of him.”

 

“Nope,” Jensen smiles.

 

The warning bell rings then and Jensen glances over his shoulder down the hall like he knows he has to go but doesn’t want to, and Jared knows exactly how he’s feeling.

 

“See you in class?” Jared offers instead of throwing him over his shoulder and hauling him off to Packlands where human rules no longer apply.  He doesn’t think Jensen’s quite ready to appreciate that though.

 

“Of course,” Jensen smiles again, shouldering his backpack and saying his goodbyes before they part.

 

For a few seconds, Jared stands there and watches Jensen move away from him, watches the curve of his ass in his jeans, the bow of his legs, the length and confidence in his gait.  Hunter or not, Jared’s already more than half gone for him.  And he just might need a little help pushing his mate in the right direction.

 

 

Jensen shuts his locker and nearly comes out of his skin when a redheaded girl appears from seemingly nowhere.

 

“Hey, hot stuff,” she smiles, looking up at him through her eyelashes and doing that little wiggle-dance-thing that girls seem to think is cute and guys seem to go stupid over.

 

“Can I help you?” he asks, giving her a once over that tells him she’s thin but strong, and she might be playing sweet and innocent but she can handle herself if need be.

 

“Oh, I was hoping you could help me,” she says, twirling a bit of hair.

 

He seriously wants to roll his eyes, but that would be rude and she’s nothing like Justin Hartley and his goons so far, so he’s willing to give her a chance.  After all, maybe she really does need his help with something.

 

“So reserved and serious,” she tuts.  “What’s a girl to think?”

 

“That I’m reserved and serious?” Jensen offers.

 

She sighs and rolls her eyes at him and he suddenly wants that smile back.  He doesn’t like her being exasperated with him for some weird reason.

 

“Fine.  Why do you need my help?” he asks, his reward a blinding, friendly grin.

 

“I don’t want you to take this the wrong way,” she begins and he almost instantly regrets agreeing to help.  “I totally didn’t mean to, but I saw your last couple of scores in calculus and you’re doing really, really good.”

 

“And you’re not?” Jensen ventures a guess.

 

“Definitely not,” she grimaces.  “And I’ll get kicked off the volleyball team if I can’t pull my grades up by the end of the six weeks.  Is there any way you could help a girl out?”

 

He hesitates.  It’s not that he can’t help her, or that he doesn’t want to.  It’s more that he doesn’t want her getting any ideas about him or getting to know him.  He has no idea who’s a wolf in this town, and if he’s found out as a hunter, then they could all kill him and they’d never find his body.  It’s dangerous, and he’s not sure the risk is worth it.

 

“Please,” she begs.  “I would seriously be in your debt.”

 

“Is there no one else?” he asks and she bites her lip, flushing a little.

 

“I, uh, I haven’t asked anyone else,” she admits.  “I didn’t want anyone knowing that I’m failing math.  This school, we all know each other.  They’re not all kind.”

 

“I know what you mean,” Jensen says.  “I’ll help.”

 

“Oh, thank you so much!” she exclaims, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tight before backing off quickly and looking embarrassed.  “I shouldn’t have done that.”

 

“It’s okay,” Jensen assures her.  “Do you know a good place to meet up?  My uncle doesn’t like having visitors over,” he lies easily.

 

“Yeah, the coffee shop on Main is great for studying,” she suggests.  “Meet you there after school?”

 

“Sounds good,” Jensen agrees.

 

“Great,” she smiles.  “And thank you again.  You’re a lifesaver.”

 

He smiles back at her and she hands him a piece of paper with her name and number on it, saying “just in case.”

 

He looks at it after she’s gone and puts it in his pocket.

 

Danneel.

 

 

“Your boy is a sarcastic, suspicious little turd,” Danneel says as she plops down next to Jared in Spanish.

 

“Good,” Jared says.  That makes him smart.  “Did he agree to meet with you?”

 

“Yeah,” Danneel answers.  “And you owe me big time.  I have to pretend to be bad at calculus now.”

 

“But you are bad at calculus,” Jared says.

 

“I’m not that bad,” she bristles.

 

“You’re bad enough,” Jared counters.

 

She stares at him good and hard, and for one little minute, Jared wonders if he’s overstepped his boundaries even as her future Pack Alpha and truly offended her.

 

A moment later, she sighs and shakes her head.

 

“The things I do for you,” she says and Jared knows they’re all right.

 

“I love you, you know that, right?” Jared grins.

 

“You’d better,” Danneel says back, cutting her dark eyes to him.

 

“You’re perfect and wonderful and the smartest wolf I know,” Jared says with a smile.

 

“Go on,” she smiles back, swatting him with a limp hand and batting her eyelashes.

 

They both share a laugh and their teacher walks in, starting the lesson.

 

“But seriously, I owe you big for this,” Jared whispers, trying not to draw attention to them.

 

“Just remember that,” she agrees.

 

 

Jensen checks his phone for the time again as he waits in the coffee shop Danneel had suggested.  He’s got one of the strongest cups of coffee he’s ever encountered in front of him cooling off from boiling hot lava to a more reasonable, less scalding temperature when the door dings for the fifth time since he’s sat down.

 

When he glances up, he catches the bright auburn of Danneel’s hair and is relieved.  Hunter or not, Jensen doesn’t like feeling alone, especially in a coffee shop that’s potentially full of werewolves.

 

“Hey,” she greets.  “Sorry to keep you waiting.  Parking was a nightmare.  I had to go a couple of buildings down just to get a spot.  How about you?”

 

“Oh, no,” Jensen shakes his head.  “I was a little early.  Beat the rush, I guess.”

 

“Lucky you,” Danneel smiles and bends over the table to dig in her bag.

 

It’s then that Jensen notices her outfit.  If he can even call it that.  It’s not that Jensen doesn’t want to look.  He actually feels compelled to.  Danneel is a beautiful girl with a beautiful body that’s on display in front of him.  But Jensen isn’t that kind of guy.  Without even knowing Danneel that well, he averts his gaze out of respect.  And, well, there’s that whole Jared Padalecki thing too.

 

“There we go!” she announces, dropping her textbook down on the table and having a seat.

 

“So, what is it you’re having trouble with?” Jensen asks, eager to dive right in.

 

“Well,” Danneel begins and leans forward, her arms pressing her breasts together, making them seem larger and like they’re jumping out of her very low cut shirt for him.  He has to do his very best to keep his eyes trained on hers.  “I have a confession.”

 

“Oh?” Jensen asks.

 

“I’m not really having trouble in calculus,” she says.

 

“Then what’s this all about?” Jensen questions, leaning away from her and regarding her maybe just a little suspiciously.

 

“It’s Spanish,” she says with a grimace.  “I’ve been keeping my grades up, but it’s only because Jared sits next to me and he’s ridiculously easy to cheat off of.”

 

“Danneel,” he says in a low voice.  “You’re cheating?”

 

“Yes?” she answers.  “A little?”

 

“A little?” Jensen echoes and then lets up.  It’s really none of his business if she’s cheating in any of her classes.  He doesn’t know her and shouldn’t judge her.  “What is it that you’re not getting?”

 

“You know Spanish?” she asks, her entire face lighting up.

 

“I’ve lived in a lot of border towns,” Jensen says.  “I know a little.  Maybe enough to get by, but I’m not super sure about passing a class.  Everything I picked up, I did so by listening and trying to communicate back.”

 

“I’ll take what I can get at this point,” Danneel says.  “Our final is an oral exam, Jensen.  I have to know this stuff by then.”

 

“Well, then we’d better get started,” Jensen says.  “How far behind are you?”

 

“I’m pretty good with my conjugations for present tense, but I’m having a bitch of a time with past tense and when and how to substitute pronouns,” she admits.

 

“Okay, that’s not too hard,” Jensen nods.

 

This is stuff he can do in his sleep.  Jeff made sure Jensen could blend into many different backgrounds, and learning another language was one of his lessons.  Of course, he doubts anyone would call dropping a seven-year-old off in a border town and telling him to find his way back to the nearest city without using his native language a lesson, but then again, Jeff never did like doing things the normal way.

 

They dive into the material and Jensen’s pleased to find that Danneel is a fast learner.  It seems more like she just didn’t have anyone to take the time to help her learn some tricks and help her drill than that she doesn’t get the material.  She’s a smart girl, smarter than she gives herself credit for, and Jensen finds he’s having a good time working with her.  Now, if she’d been looking to interpret Spanish poetry, that’d have been a whole other thing, but this?  Grammar and vocabulary?  He likes this.

 

All too soon their session draws to an end.  Jensen barely even noticed the time going by, enjoying helping her out and sharpening his own skills at the same time.

 

“I had fun,” Danneel announces as they make their way to the front door.

 

“Me too,” Jensen says with a fond smile.  She’s nice and he could really see having her around as a friend.  “Want me to walk you to your car?” he offers.

 

“Nah,” she waves him off.  “I’m a big girl.  I can handle myself.  I promise.”

 

“You sure?” Jensen asks.

 

“Very,” she grins.  “See you tomorrow?”

 

“Yeah,” Jensen agrees.  “See you tomorrow.”

 

She turns and walks away, her red hair flowing behind her.  He watches until she disappears around the side of the next building, hoping she reaches her car safely.  He knows what’s out there, after all, and it’d be so easy for something to happen to Danneel.

 

He sees her car pull out of the lot a moment later, aimed for the road, and another car comes screeching into the lot, almost hitting her head on.  Jensen can hear her tires squeal as she brakes hard and barely misses getting slammed by the other car.

 

He’s about to go see if she’s alright when he catches a faint gold glow in her normally dark eyes as she glares down the other car.

 

Of fucking course she’s a werewolf.

 

Jensen’s so done with this town.  He can’t even find it in himself to be too shocked at this revelation.  After all, it makes a ton of sense, how she hangs out so much with Jared, how unafraid she was to walk by herself in the dark.  Great.  Now he’s got no less than three werewolves that are weirdly interested in him.  Just what he needs.

 

He goes to his car and tosses his backpack in the passenger seat before getting in.  There was a day when he’d go running to his uncle as fast as he could, telling him everything he knew.  There was a time when just the thought of encountering a werewolf made Jensen’s body thrum with anticipation, with the thrill of the hunt, with the kill.

 

But now, Jensen doesn’t even know.  Justin’s an asshole, sure, but that doesn’t justify putting him down.  And Danneel?  Jared?  They’re both the nicest people that Jensen’s ever met, even if Danneel did shove her boobs in his face for the last two hours straight.

 

Used to, Jensen knew what to do, what had to be done.

Now though?  He has no idea.  And that scares him more than a town full of werewolves.

“So?” Jared demands, gluing himself to Danneel as she weaves her way through the crowd.

 

“So?” she echoes and then laughs.  “My, aren’t we desperate for information today.”

 

“Danni, please,” Jared implores, glancing around the hallway to make sure no one is listening in.

 

“I swear, Jared Padalecki, one of these days I’m going to say no,” she says, both of them knowing otherwise.  “He’s definitely not playing for my team.”

 

“You’re sure?” Jared asks as they stop in front of her locker.

 

“I wore my sluttiest outfit and stuck my boobs out,” she states.  “How many straight guys do you know that could turn that down?”

 

Jared concedes, because fair enough, Danneel is beyond hot.

 

“He didn’t look at me once, not in that way at least,” she sighs.  “Which is a fucking shame, but I suppose if I can’t have him, you might as well.”

 

They’re quiet for a moment while Danneel checks her hair in her locker mirror before turning and giving him a serious look.

 

“What?” he asks.

 

“Look, no one ships you guys harder than I do.  It’s just, have you thought it through?” she asks.  “I’m not questioning you, but his uncle is one of the most dangerous hunters in the country.  Are we sure he’s not one too?”

 

“I know he is,” Jared says.  “At least a little.  And you know he is too.”

 

“But you’re still going to go through with this?”

 

“I have to, Danni,” Jared says, eyes automatically seeking out Jensen as he detects the human’s scent in the corridor.  “Keep close to him though?  I want to make sure he’s safe to approach before I do anything.”

 

“And you want to make sure he’s hot for you before you make a move,” she adds and she’s not wrong.

 

“Am I that big of a chicken?” he asks, flushing a little.

 

“I think I’m the only one who knows,” she laughs lightly.  “Go to class.  I’ll watch him, and I'll see if I can't get him looking your way.”

 

“Thanks, Danni,” he smiles at her and heads to class.

 

 

Jensen doesn’t even startle this time when he closes his locker to find Danneel waiting for him behind the door.  The werewolves in this town are stealthy, he’ll hand them that, but utterly predictable.

 

“Again?” he asks, shouldering his backpack and raising an eyebrow at her.

 

“What?” she shoots back.

 

“Loitering around my locker again,” Jensen explains with a fond smile.  She’s beginning to become a good friend.  “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you wanted something from me.”

 

“Well, good thing we both know that’s completely absurd,” she laughs, tossing a wave of auburn over her shoulder.

 

“Still doing okay in Spanish?” Jensen asks.

 

“Yes,” she beams.  “Pulled my grade up to a C.”

 

“I think you can do better,” Jensen encourages her.

 

“I know I can,” she agrees.  “Especially with this super awesome tutor I found.”

 

He knows she’s flirting with him, but he’s seen her do this with most of her friends so he doesn’t read anything into it.  Not that her actually flirting with him with intent would make a difference.  He can’t help the pull he feels for Jared any more than he can stop the sun from rising.  Beautiful as Danneel is, she’s no match for Jared.  Not by a long shot.

 

“Hey, gorgeous,” Justin Hartley says, sliding up next to Danneel and snaking an arm around her shoulder.  “What are you doing hanging out with this loser?  Is it part of your community outreach?  Charity work?  Helping the less fortunate?”

 

“No, that would be you, Hartley,” Danneel sneers.  “And I wouldn’t pee on you if you were on fire.  That charitable enough?”

 

And damn, Jensen’s very glad she likes him because when her claws come out it’s terrifying.

 

Still, he can’t help the snort of laughter that escapes him.

 

“What are you laughing at?” Justin turns hard, dark eyes on him.

 

“The most pathetic thing I’ve ever seen,” Jensen answers.

 

Justin growls, pushing his face close enough that Jensen can feels his hot breath, but he doesn’t dare move.  He doesn’t want to give Justin the satisfaction of knowing he startled Jensen, not even a little bit.

 

“Is this supposed to scare me?” Jensen asks.

 

“If you were smart,” Justin replies, his eyes turning just barely brighter, revealing him for what he really is.

 

“If you were smart, you’d back off,” Jensen can hear Danneel say in a hushed voice, urgency plain as day in her tone.  “You know that if he sees you, you’re done.”

 

“Shut up, Danneel,” Justin snarls at her.  “He needs to learn his place.”

 

“And where’s that?” Jensen goads him.

 

“Beneath us,” Justin states.

 

“Justin, I swear, if you don’t stop, I’ll tell him everything,” Danneel threatens, and Jensen can only guess that she means Jared.  “You know what he’ll do.  You know what the punishment is.”

 

Justin backs off then, turning to Danneel.

 

“I don’t care, Danneel,” Justin says.  “Ever since this fucking human came into town, it’s all I hear about.  I’m sick of it.  Aren’t you?”

 

“It’s not our place,” she says quietly.  “He’s made his decision and we have to follow it.”

 

“No, we don’t,” Justin says.

 

“You can’t hurt him,” Danneel’s voice is firm.

 

“No, but I don’t have to stay,” Justin says.

 

“You’d leave?” she asks, and it’s almost like Jensen isn’t there anymore.

 

“Maybe,” Justin softens, drops his guard.  Maybe once upon a time he and Danneel were good friends.  Jared did say that they’d all grown up together.  Maybe being Pack means more than Jensen and his uncle know.  “I just don’t know if I can… you know, with a human.”

 

“We all have to make sacrifices,” she says kindly.  “What’s good for him is good for all of us, you know that.”

 

“He’s choosing himself over us,” Justin says, points out.

 

“But he’s not us.  He’s different,” she states, leaning in close and whispering, and Jensen knows she’s trying not to let him hear, that she hasn’t forgotten him.  “Just try to be nice?” she suggests.

 

“I make no promises,” Justin replies.

 

“Then try not to go out of your way to be an asshat to him,” she says with a bit more force.

 

“Danni,” he starts.

 

“No, or I’ll throw your ass under the bus faster than you can blink,” she threatens.

 

“Fine,” he agrees.  “Just remember, I’m not wrong.”

 

“It’s not your place to decide that,” she says.

 

They exchange a long stare and then he shakes his head and leaves.  As soon as Justin is around the next corner of the hallway, Danneel deflates, taking a deep breath and then turning to Jensen.

 

“Sorry about him,” she says with a small, kind smile.  “He’s not as horrible as he wants you to think.”

 

“Oh?” Jensen asks, not entirely convinced.  He’s certain that if Justin had his way, he’d harass Jensen until he gave up and left town.  It’s obvious that’s what he really wants.

 

“He’s just worried,” she explains.  “He’s also a bit of a Neanderthal and doesn’t know how to express his concern in ways other than beating his chest and grunting like a caveman.”

 

“So I shouldn’t be watching out for him?” Jensen asks.

 

“Not so much,” Danneel shakes her head.  “More bark than bite, I promise.”

 

“If you say so,” Jensen agrees and wonders just how much of what Danneel said is accurate.

 

“I do,” she smiles.  “Anyway, I was wondering if you were free tomorrow night.”

 

“Tomorrow?” Jensen asks.  “It’s Friday.”

 

“How observant of you,” Danneel says.  “The question still stands, are you free?”

 

“I suppose,” Jensen replies.  He really doesn’t have anything he has to do.  If he went home, he’d likely be loading bullets or sharpening blades or reading alone in his room.  “Need help studying?” he offers.

 

“On a Friday?” she scoffs.  “No one studies on Fridays, sweetie.”

 

“Then what do you need me for?” he asks.

 

“Just meet me in the front of the school at six tomorrow night,” she says.

 

“Six?” he repeats.

 

“Yes,” she says.  “Just be there.  And bring a jacket.”

 

 

It’s not until Jensen gets to school the next day that he realizes what Danneel has in store for him, and it’s not until she’s got him embedded in the student section of the bleachers that he figures out it’s a full moon.  He’s a little nervous at first, watching Danneel and Justin and Jared as closely as he can for any signs that a shift is imminent, but the longer he watches the less he thinks they’re actually going to shift, and the colder he gets.  And cold Jensen is a surly Jensen.

 

“Why am I here again?” Jensen asks, hugging his jacket around himself a little tighter as he glances over at Danneel, looking pretty in her scarf and jacket, a healthy pink flush highlighting her cheeks.  The cold doesn’t seem to be bothering her as much.  Probably a werewolf thing.

 

“Because,” she cuts him a look.  “This is what people do on Friday nights.  They go to football games and eat bad food and freeze their asses off.”

 

She’s quiet for a moment as the band plays a short tune and then she leans in close enough that he can smell her perfume.

 

“Besides, you need to be properly socialized,” she says.  “A hot thing like you?  It should be a crime to hide you away from the public.”

 

“It should be a crime to inflict me on the public,” Jensen counters.

 

“Always such a smartass,” she tuts.  “Do you even know what fun is?”

 

“Are we having fun now?” he asks.

 

“You…,” she rolls her eyes and shakes her head at him.  “Whatever, Jensen.  You know you want to be here.  You’re just using me as an excuse.”

 

“And just what makes you think that?” he questions.

 

“You haven’t taken your eyes off of Jared Padalecki since he took the field,” she grins.  “Not that I blame you.  He is a fine work of art to look at.”

 

“I… no, it’s not like that,” he sputters.  Yeah, Jared’s very athletic, his physique is hard to deny, but Jensen’s just watching him for signs of wolfing out.  Surely.  Yes, that’s what it is.  Definitely not how good his ass looks in those tight pants.

 

“Relax, princess.  Your secret is safe with me,” she says casually.  “Not that anyone would care.  Well, I mean some girls and even some boys would want to claw your face off for it, but it’s not like you’d be lynched or anything, if that’s what you’re freaking out over.  Believe me when I say no one cares about the whole gay thing.  Jared himself even goes both ways.”

 

“He does?  I mean, oh, that’s uh, cool, I guess,” he tries to recover.

 

“You’re not fooling me, just so you know,” she says.  “And I’m just saying, but if you went for it, I doubt he’d turn you down.  As a matter of fact, I’d kick his ass if he did.”

 

And Jensen believes her.  He still can’t figure out her particular wolf type, but he knows she’s a werewolf too.  He also knows that if Jared bends over in front of them one more time, he’s probably going to come in his pants.

 

Jesus, she’s not wrong.  It’s unfair how delectable Jared looks in his uniform, the tight white lycra accentuating every single muscle he has in his legs and ass.  And it’s not like he needs the pads to make him look any more formidable either, but fuck.  There is absolutely none of the awkward boy who deliberately makes himself smaller in class.  Instead, he’s completely in his element, a tall, strong werewolf.

 

Maybe this is how Jared and the others stay so zen, getting out all of their wolfy violence on the football field instead of on the innocent public.  This Pack, this school, this town is unlike any he’s ever seen, and as he watches Jared lead the team to another touchdown, he thinks, and not for the first time, that maybe he and his uncle have come to the wrong place.

 

 

“Where have you been all night?” Jeff asks as soon as Jensen hits the door, his semiautomatic laying in pieces on the table in front of him.

 

“Football game,” Jensen replies.  “It’s apparently what normal people do on Friday nights in small town Texas.”

 

“You were at a football game?” Jeff gives him a puzzled look.

 

“Yeah,” Jensen nods.

 

“By yourself?” Jeff asks.

 

“No,” Jensen replies.  “With a friend.”

 

“That Jared kid?”

 

“He was there, but no.  I went with a girl,” Jensen answers.

 

“A girl,” Jeff says like he doesn’t believe Jensen.

 

“Yes, a pretty girl,” Jensen elaborates only slightly.

 

“As a friend?  Or what?” Jeff prods.

 

“Yes, as a friend,” Jensen rolls his eyes.  Jeff knows better.  Jensen's disinterest in the fairer sex is no secret between them.

 

“Huh,” Jeff says, like he's surprised, and for good reason.  Jensen's never made a friend he ever felt like telling Jeff about.  The older man looks pleased abs gives him a faint smile, the first he's given Jensen in months.   “Good for you.”

 

“Well, this has been sufficiently awkward,” Jensen states.  “I’m going to bed now.”

 

Jeff only grunts in his direction and continues cleaning his gun, interest in Jensen's extracurricular activities leaving as quickly as it came.

 

When Jensen gets into his room, he strips down to his boxers and collapses into his bed.  It’s nice to be at home in his room where he doesn’t have to watch himself anymore.  At least not for the rest of the night.  Jeff’s preoccupied; his firearm cleaning binge will last all night and he won’t even think to look in on Jensen until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest.

 

He’s finally alone and he’s going to make the most of it.

 

Watching Jared play got him wound up something fierce, and Danneel certainly hadn’t helped matters.  It was almost like she wanted him to get all worked up over the quarterback.  And she’d accomplished her goal.

 

Jensen can’t help letting his hands wander over his body, his skin heated and sensitive to touch as they make their way across his flat abs down to his erection.  He presses down over his dick with his hand, arching his hips up and rubbing against his palm through the fabric of his boxers.

 

He lets out a shaky breath as he moves, the friction almost perfect.  He slides his boxers down and takes himself in hand, moving his fist over his cock, twisting and squeezing at just the right moments to make him harder, make him pant and sweat.

 

He thinks of Jared, really lets his mind wander to the werewolf.  He thinks of how hot it would be to get Jared’s skin under his hands, how hard Jared’s muscles must be, how he’d taste.  He wonders if Jared would dominate him, pin him down and growl, make him beg.  He imagines Jared would start off gentle, wanting to protect Jensen, his touch reverent and soft, but that his wolf would take control after a tease or two, that his touch would turn desperate and wild, his words dirty.

 

Jensen comes with a barely muffled shout, his orgasm taking him completely by surprise.  He barely had enough time to bite down on his lips, keeping his mouth shut and strangling any sound that dared to leave him unbidden.  And Jesus, he’s shaky and sated, his body thrumming in post-orgasmic bliss.  Who knew imagining Jared would bring him off so quick or so hard?

 

And what kind of hunter does that make him when he not only thinks of a werewolf while jacking off, but gets off on it?

 

He’s really screwed.

 

 

 

“Ask him out you giant pussy,” Danneel says as she punches Jared in the shoulder.

 

“What?” he gasps, rubbing the spot where her fist connected.

 

She’s lucky she’s such a close friend.  No other wolf would be allowed to touch him like that, and no other wolf would dare.

 

“Jensen,” she says, cocking her head in the direction of the boy in question where he’s writing furiously at his desk.  “Ask him out.”

 

“What--”

 

“I’m going to stop you right there, sweetie,” Danneel says.  “He’s hot for you, you’re hot for him, you’d be hot together.”

 

“How do you know?” Jared asks.

 

“Him?  I can read him like an open book.  I just mention your name and he blushes bright red and his heart beats faster,” she says.  “We can all tell he’s your mate, Jared.  So what’s holding you back?”

 

“He’s a hunter,” Jared says.

 

“Yeah, I know.  I’m over it.  Are you really going to let that stand in your way?” she asks.

 

“What if he wants to kill me?  And his uncle, he’s dangerous.  He’ll want me dead for sure,” Jared points out.

 

“I guarantee Jensen doesn’t want you dead,” Danneel snorts.  “Smart money says he already knows what we are, and he hasn’t done anything yet.  Neither has his uncle, so it’s obvious he doesn’t know and Jensen’s not told him.”

 

“What if he’s luring me into a trap?  Pretending to like me?” Jared has to entertain the idea.

 

“You read him like I do,” Danneel says.  “He’s probably great at lying to humans, but I haven’t caught him in a single lie, except when he gets all flustered over the mention of you.  You can’t fake that no matter how good you are.  Just ask him out, to your house or something, and see what happens.”

 

“If you’re sure,” Jared says, looking over at Jensen and feeling that ache of wanting him again.

 

“I’m sure,” Danneel says and Jared nods.

 

She’s going to be the head of his council when he takes over the Pack, the wolf closest to him other than his mate, his Beta, and now’s as good a time as any to start trusting her judgement.

 

 

When the bell rings, none of the wolves leave their seats, sensing that Jared needs to leave first and allowing him the time and space to get to Jensen as quickly as possible.

 

He catches up to Jensen by his locker and greets him with the biggest smile he can manage.  He’d never admit it, not even under pain of torture, but he’s more nervous right here in front of Jensen than he’s ever been in his entire life.

 

“Hey,” he says, anxious energy bouncing through him.

 

“Hey,” Jensen responds, stacking a book and trading it for another.

 

“So, I was wondering, we’ve got that huge test in Manners’s class, and I could stand to have a study partner to keep me on task,” Jared begins.  “So, um, if you’d like, maybe we could study together?”

 

Jensen turns to him and gives him his full attention as he looks Jared over for a long moment, and for a hot second Jared thinks Jensen’s going to call bullshit on him.

 

“Not that you need one,” Jared says quickly, mouth overriding his brain.  Again.  “But I think you’re really cool and I don’t think any extra studying would hurt and--”

 

“Yes,” Jensen says abruptly, cutting Jared’s rambling off.

 

“Yes?” Jared echoes, hardly believing his ears.

 

“You know, it’s almost painful how awkward the captain of the football team can be, so yes, so I can put us both out of our misery,” Jensen says but gives him a smile that takes any bite out of his words.

 

“I swear, I’m not usually this inept,” Jared says and can feel a blush creep up his neck.

 

“I know,” Jensen responds.  “You just turn into a huge girl when you ask me anything.”

 

“Sorry,” Jared mumbles.  His father would slap him if he could hear him.

 

“No sweat,” Jensen shrugs, gaining some confidence.

 

And that’s the thing.  The more confident Jensen is, the weirder Jared gets, and the more confident Jared is, the more nervous Jensen seems to be.  For Jared, he knows it’s the whole mate thing, but Jensen, the only explanation is that he does in fact know that Jared’s a wolf.  Regardless, Jared’s going through with this.

 

“So, my house after school?” Jared asks, feeling a bit more of his confidence return.  “My parents will be out, so we’ll have the house to ourselves.”

 

“That sounds… uh, great,” Jensen says, shouldering his backpack.  “Yeah, it’s a plan.”

 

“Great,” Jared beams.  “I’ll meet you in the parking lot after school.”

 

“Cool,” Jensen says and glances down the hall toward his next class.  Or looking for an escape route.  Jared can hardly tell.  “See you then.”

 

“Yeah, see you then,” Jared continues grinning and gets a quick smile in return before Jensen moves down the hall.

 

Jared watches until he disappears into a classroom and then turns to go to his just in time to hear the warning bell.

 

 

Jesus Christ.  What in the hell was Jensen thinking?  Agreeing to be alone with a werewolf without supervision?  If this were any other hunt, any other town, any other creature, Jensen would arm himself to the teeth and assume he’s walking into a trap.  But Jared?  Who the fuck knows.

 

Jensen feels off balance.  Jacking off to thoughts of the werewolf is one thing, but actually being alone with him is quite another.  He wants to trust Jared, but all of the training and the instincts his uncle drilled into him are screaming at him to bail.  And he’d usually involve his uncle, tell him what’s going on, but for the first time in his life he doesn’t trust his uncle not to overreact.  Jeff is so black and white.  He’d want Jared and anyone who associates with him dead by sundown, and Jensen’s almost one hundred percent certain that none of the wolves in this town are crazed killers that need to be put down.  As a matter of fact, he’s sure that any threat, supernatural or otherwise, the Pack takes care of.

 

No, Jared deserves the benefit of the doubt, and maybe, if he’s feeling brave enough, Jensen will confront him, test him, see if he’s really worthy of the trust Jensen already wants to give him.

 

 

As Jensen makes his way to the parking lot, he catches sight of Jared, all tall and ridiculously gorgeous, leaning against the side of a more recent model truck, laughing and smiling with Danneel and Genevieve.   It makes his chest feel warm to watch the other boy, but that nervous tension is still coiling in his gut.

 

With a deep, steadying breath, Jensen forges ahead, going right up to the group.

 

“Hey!” Jared exclaims in greeting, his bright, happy eyes lighting up even more as he breaks away from the girls and reaches out, pulling Jensen into the group by his shoulder.

 

Being raised to be a hunter by another hunter has made Jensen jumpy when it comes to touch.  He’s learned that if he’s being touched he’s vulnerable, and it’s likely that the touch is meant to hurt.  Jared’s touch does neither of these things, and Jared touches him often.  He’s very tactile and it’s taken quite a bit of getting used to.

 

“Well, ladies, we’re off,” Jared announces and the girls grin like they’re sharing a secret.

 

“See you later!” Danneel says to both of them, giving Jensen a friendly wave as she loops her arm around Genevieve’s and drags her away.

 

“So, carpool in my truck?” Jared asks, unlocking the doors.  “I can take you back here when we’re done.”

 

“Okay,” Jensen agrees.  “That--that sounds good.”

 

“Awesome,” Jared grins, jogging to the driver’s side and getting in.

 

Jensen puts his backpack on the floorboard and hops in the passenger side, buckling up as Jared puts the truck into drive and takes them out of the parking lot.

 

Jared puts the radio on some top forties station and sings along to every song on the drive to his house.  It’s a very scenic drive with lots of tall trees as they drive further and further from town.  Jensen’s anxiety about this whole thing increases the more distance they put between them and civilization, but he forces himself to remain calm.  Jared hasn’t hurt him yet, and there’s nothing to say he’s ever going to do so.  He’s been nothing but nice to Jensen so far.  He deserves to have the favor returned.

 

“Hey,” Jared says, turning down the radio and giving him several glances as he tries to keep his attention on the road.

 

“Hmm?” Jensen asks.

 

“Not that I’m not used to it or anything, but you’re really quiet,” Jared says.  “Is everything okay?”

 

“Yeah,” Jensen answers.  Jared must be able to tell things from his scent.  “Just got a lot on my mind.”

 

“Anything you want to talk about?” Jared asks kindly.

 

Jensen almost spills his guts right there, almost tells him about how conflicted he is over Jared, over his uncle, over his entire life and what he’d been raised and trained for.  But he doesn’t.  This isn’t the time or the place for that conversation, so he shakes his head and looks out the window again.

 

“If you change your mind, I’m all ears,” Jared offers.  “And no judgment.”

 

Jensen chances a look to Jared then and he wants to melt into his seat at the warmth in those stormy eyes.  Jared is really going to be the end of him, he just knows it.

 

“Thank you,” Jensen replies.

 

They arrive at Jared’s house minutes later and Jared lets them in.  It’s very quiet, both inside and out.  Jensen gets the feeling that a lot of the wildlife keeps its distance from the Padalecki residence, and maybe even Packlands, which Jensen assumes they’re on.

 

The house itself is rather ordinary, if a bit larger than what Jensen would expect with it being so far away from town.  Jared leads them upstairs to his room, and the whole thing is so normal that Jensen wants to scream.

 

There is absolutely nothing that doesn’t say Average Upper-Middle Class American Family anywhere.  There’s nothing of werewolves and Packs and full moons.  It’s all family photos and sports trophies and flat screen tvs with recliners and an Xbox.  He catches sight of a dining room table and a spotless kitchen, freshly vacuumed carpeting, and a pile of mail by the front door.  For all intents and purposes, the Padaleckis, werewolves and all, are more apple pie American than Jensen and his drifter uncle could ever hope to be.

 

Even Jared’s room is so normal it hurts.  He’s got posters of football legends and great bands tacked to his faded blue walls.  He’s got clothes draped over every bit of furniture that he’s scrambling to put away quickly, making excuses and blushing a little every time he finds another little mess he’s left himself for later.

 

Jensen’s anxiety continues to build, and when they finally are able to spread their homework out on Jared’s big bed, he hits a wall and can’t take it anymore, standing up and pacing across the room.

 

“You okay?” Jared asks, concern showing on his open, honest face.

 

“I know what you are,” Jensen announces, whirling toward Jared.

 

“That’s only fair, seeing as I know what you are too,” Jared shrugs it off like it’s nothing.

 

“Aren’t you afraid?” Jensen asks.

 

“Should I be?” Jared responds casually.

 

“I’ve killed your kind before,” Jensen tells him.

 

“Okay,” Jared acknowledges and continues opening his books and laying his notes out.

 

“Okay?” Jensen gapes.  “I tell you I know you’re a werewolf and that I’ve killed some before and all you say is okay?”

 

Jared moves too fast to see and pins Jensen to the wall with strength he’s never witnessed before.  Jared leans in close and his teeth descend as his eyes flash gold and he lets loose a low, deep growl.

 

“Is this the response you were looking for?” Jared asks, voice rough.  “I’m perfectly capable of being civilized if you are.  I’m not like the other animals you put down.  None of us are,” he says, pushing away from Jensen and shoving the wolf back down.

 

Jensen watches as Jared goes back to their school work, opening his biology book and sitting down on the end of his bed.  Suddenly Jensen feels like he doesn’t know anything anymore.  He knows what his uncle has told him--that werewolves are dangerous, wild beasts driven by bloodlust, that they have no control and become suped up killing machines every full moon.

 

And then there’s Jared.  Kind Jared who befriended him and defended him, who doesn’t shift on a full moon, but by his own will.   He’s fully in control, and Jensen would be more than willing to bet that he’s never killed anything bigger than a deer.  Jensen wouldn’t say Jared’s harmless.   But he’s not dangerous, not to Jensen and not to anyone else.

 

“You going to study or just stare at me all night?” Jared asks.

 

“I… uh,” Jensen stalls.

 

“Come on,” Jared pats the spot beside him.  “I don’t bite.  Unless you want me to,” he adds as a joke, and though Jensen doesn’t laugh, he takes his seat.

 

“So you’re really okay with this?” Jensen asks.

 

“With you being a hunter or you knowing my deep, dark secret?” Jared sighs, putting down his book and fixing his eyes on Jensen.

 

“Both,” Jensen answers.

 

“Yes.”

 

“Why?” Jensen demands.

 

“Because you’re not going to do anything about it,” Jared replies confidently.

 

“What makes you think that?” Jensen bristles.

 

“You wouldn’t have confronted me about it,” Jared states.  “You’re not the first hunters to come here, you know, and most don’t give you fair warning before they shoot.”

 

“And just how did you know we were hunters?” Jensen asks.  It’s never been obvious before.

 

“Your tattoo was the first indication,” Jared says, eyes dropping to Jensen’s arm before coming back up.  “You move from town to town a lot, carry a lot of silver, and you hold yourself like you’re bracing for a fight.  Hunters don’t act like normal people, and believe me when I say that the more you try to act normal in this town, the more you’ll stick out.”

 

“Because everybody knows,” Jensen says, the thought suddenly dawning on him.

 

“Yes, everybody knows,” Jared confirms.  “You can’t hide a Pack this size, so we integrated.  We’ve been living alongside the humans here for over a century.”

 

“And Justin Hartley and his goons are afraid of you because?”

 

“My father is Alpha,” Jared says.  “And I’ll be Alpha after him.”

 

“That… that makes a whole lot of sense, actually,” Jensen says.

 

He thinks of all of the interactions with Jared, all of the students at the schools, and then a thought occurs to him that has him laughing.

 

“What?” Jared asks with a bemused smile.

 

“I just thought… well, no wonder you always win state at football,” Jensen says.  “A team of werewolves?”

 

“Well, we’re not all werewolves,” Jared grins.

 

“But there are enough to make a difference,” Jensen says.

 

“Yeah, I suppose so,” Jared agrees.  “Doesn’t mean we aren’t good.”

 

“No, I’ve seen you.  There’s no denying that,” Jensen says.  “You’re just tougher, stronger, faster.”

 

“Yeah,” Jared agrees.  “Wait.  You’ve seen us?  You’ve come to a game?”

 

“Uh, I might have been dragged along to one,” Jensen admits, feeling his face flush as he looks away and fiddles with a rip in his jeans.

 

“Really?  Did you watch me?  I bet you did,” Jared says, teases, a boldness taking over him and taking Jensen by surprise.  Had he really been that obvious?  It's also entirely possible that Danneel could have ratted him out.  “You liked watching me in my tight pants, getting all rough and physical?”

 

Jensen can feel his pulse quicken, because dammit, Jared’s not wrong.

 

“You don’t have to answer,” Jared says, voice right in Jensen’s ear as he leans in close.  “I can hear your heart pounding in your chest, I can tell that your temperature has gone up, and I can smell your body’s reaction to me.  And it’s okay.”

 

“It’s not,” Jensen shakes his head.

 

“It is,” Jared insists.  “You can want me.  There is nothing wrong with that, because I want you too, and it doesn’t matter that you’re human and I’m not, that you’re a hunter and I’m a wolf.  None of that matters unless we let it.”

 

Jensen doesn’t respond, he can’t.  There’s nothing he can say because Jared’s right, but he’s also wrong, because Jensen doesn’t know how to be anything else and for the first time in his life he’s afraid of his uncle and what he’s capable of.  So instead, Jensen turns to Jared and kisses him.

 

Jared responds immediately, a low growl sounding in his throat as he wraps both of his huge hands around Jensen’s head and kisses him back hard and fierce and possessive, like this may be his only chance and he’s trying to imprint himself into Jensen’s mouth.

 

Jensen grabs at Jared’s shirt as the werewolf knocks him off balance and he falls back, pulling Jared with him.  Jared goes much more gracefully than Jensen, fitting them together smoothly as he continues to kiss Jensen’s lights out.  Hot fingers dance along his sides as Jared slips his hands under his shirt, and Jensen repays the favor, sliding his hands over Jared’s back, feeling warm skin over hard muscle with every movement Jared makes.

 

“Be with me,” Jared whispers as he holds Jensen close, lips almost touching again.  “Please.”

 

“Jared, I…,” Jensen trails off as he opens his eyes to find Jared’s glowing.  It would have made him reach for a weapon a few weeks ago, but now it makes him pull Jared closer.  “My uncle, he wouldn’t understand,” he says.  “He’s the only family I have left.”

 

“I could be your family too,” Jared says.

 

“You don’t mean that,” Jensen argues.  “We’re only seventeen.”

 

“I know what you are to me,” Jared states, voice clear and certain.  “And I do mean it.”

 

“Can I… can I think about it?” Jensen bargains.

 

“Only if I can kiss you again,” Jared says.

 

“Come here, then,” Jensen says and pulls Jared back down.

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

Jensen’s relieved when he gets home and Jeff doesn’t seem to notice him much.  It’s not that he doesn’t want his uncle to pay attention to him, but part of him is sure that Jeff would be able to see that Jensen had been rolling around in bed with a werewolf written all over his face.

 

Jared was careful, not leaving any marks, though Jensen certainly wouldn’t have stopped him, but Jeff is the best hunter Jensen’s ever met.  Surely if someone could tell just by looking at Jensen that he’d gotten hot and heavy with a werewolf, it’d be Jeff.

 

Instead, Jeff grunts out a greeting and doesn’t even ask where he’s been.  It’s a little disconcerting, but Jensen’s not about to look a gift horse in the mouth.  He hightails it to his room and tries to fall asleep but the excitement of his time with Jared is still pumping through his veins.

 

He finally falls asleep with just barely enough time to call it a nap before he has to get ready for school again and when he wakes, he’s groggy and still tired, but he’s eager to see Jared again.

 

He gets ready and drives to school a little faster than he normally would.  The parking lot of the school is still relatively empty and he finds his normal space easily, parking his car and turning the engine off.  As he grabs his backpack from the passenger seat, he’s startled by a knock on his window.

 

“Jumpy?” Jared asks with a bright grin on his face that dissipates any of Jensen’s annoyance at being startled.  Stupid pretty face.

 

“You scared the shit out of me,” Jensen huffs but still smiles back at the wolf as he opens the car door.

 

“Aw, I’m sorry,” Jared says, hanging his shoulders a little but still grinning.

 

“It’s fine, just… warn me when you’re going to sneak up on me?” Jensen requests, getting out of his car and slinging his backpack over his shoulder.  “I don’t want to hurt you or anything.”

 

“You couldn’t hurt me,” Jared says confidently, and Jensen doesn’t know if it’s because Jared doesn’t think Jensen can physically do damage to him or if he believes that Jensen wouldn’t do him harm.  He’s arrogant if it’s the former and naïve if the latter.

 

“What are you doing here?” Jensen decides to ask instead as he locks up his car.

 

“I wanted to walk with you to class,” Jared admits.  “And I also wanted to tell you that I had a great time last night.”

 

“And you want to know if I’ve made a decision yet,” Jensen says and Jared nods.

 

“Can you blame me?” he asks.  “I’m trying to have patience, but it’s really hard.”

 

“Is it because of what you said to me last night?  About knowing what I was to you?” Jensen asks.

 

Jared makes a face that suggests he’s not particularly comfortable and for a moment Jensen isn’t sure Jared’s going to answer him, but he nods his head and gives a muttered “yeah”.

 

“Can you explain that to me?” Jensen implores.

 

“I, uh, I don’t think I should have said that last night,” Jared says with a slight wince.

 

“But you did,” Jensen states.  “Maybe knowing what you meant by that will help me make a more informed decision about you.”

 

Jared’s quiet again for a long moment as they walk slowly to the school.  Jensen’s just about to prompt him again when he starts to speak.

 

“My Pack is different from other Packs,” Jared begins.  “There are wild groups roaming around out there, and I’m sure that’s what you and your uncle have encountered.  We learned long ago to control our shift, to not be enslaved by the call of the moon, and to remain ourselves no matter what our form.

 

“We also mate for life,” he continues.  “And we know our mates at first sight.  We imprint on them and feel a pull toward them until the bond is complete.  I imprinted on you the moment you stepped into Biology on your first day in this school.  You are my mate, and I will wait for you, give you however long you need.”

 

“Mates?” Jensen asks, giving Jared a skeptical look.

 

“I know it sounds weird,” Jared says.  “But it’s true.”

 

“How can I be your mate if I’m human?” Jensen asks.

 

“You being human has nothing to do with it,” Jared says.  “It’s about compatibility.  On every level, we’re a match.  You were made for me, and I was made for you.”

 

“Soulmates then?” Jensen asks.

 

“Yes,” Jared answers.

 

“It does sound ridiculous,” Jensen says and watches as Jared’s face falls.  “But you’ve turned everything I thought I knew about werewolves on its head, so who am I to say what’s real or not.  All I know is that I trust you when everything my uncle has ever taught me is screaming at me to run away.  And that, for me, is enough to know that there’s something else at work here.”

 

“Are you… is that a yes?” Jared asks, hope bursting through his expression, his entire being transforming before Jensen’s eyes.

 

“I’m really nervous and I don’t know what I’m even getting myself into, but I’m willing to give it a try,” Jensen says and even though he’s scared, it feels right.  This pull he’s felt for weeks is coming into focus, finally making some sense.

 

Jared surprises him by scooping Jensen into his arms and kissing him soundly before pulling away just as abruptly.

 

“Sorry,” Jared says, pulling a face and rubbing at the back of his neck like he can barely stand to keep his hands off of Jensen.  “I was just really happy.”

 

“It’s okay,” Jensen says, releasing the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.  “You just, a little slower, okay?  You move faster than I can keep up.”

 

“I’ll try,” Jared beams at him.

 

 

Jared’s on cloud nine for the rest of the day.  Nothing can bring him down now that his mate has agreed to being courted by him.

 

“Someone’s happier than the legal limit,” Danneel says as she rides beside him in the truck back to Packlands.

 

“Someone has a boyfriend,” Jared grins.

 

“Shut up, really?” she asks, squealing in delight and wrapping him in a hug that almost crashes the truck.  “I’m so happy for you.”

 

“Thanks, Danni,” Jared says.  “I don’t know if I’d have ever done it without your help.”

 

“What’s your second in command for if not helping you get your man?” she smiles.  “So when are you going to tell your parents?”

 

“Tonight,” Jared says.  “I’m kind of nervous about it, but they already know all about him, so I don’t think it’ll be as big of a deal as I’m making it out to be.”

 

“It never is, is it?” she says.  “I’m behind you, you know that right?”

 

“Always,” Jared gives her a smile.

 

They pull onto Pack land a few minutes later and Jared drops Danneel off at her house.

 

“Call me if you need me for anything,” she smiles at Jared as she hops out of his truck.  She’s such a good friend.  He doesn’t know what he’d do without her.

 

“Thanks again,” Jared smiles back as she shuts the door and waves goodbye to him.

 

The trip to his house is a very short one.  They live practically next to each other, though several acres of woods separate their houses.  It’s pretty common in the Pack to have such space between residences.  It gives each family enough room to run around on a full moon, should they choose to shift, and it gives them the space to let growing pups run out excess energy while they still can’t control the shift.

 

His parents are already home when he pulls into the driveway, and he’s so anxious to get inside and tell them the good news that he almost forgets to put his truck in park.  Jared goes bursting through the front door and straight to his father’s study.  He knows the Alpha will be there, and  as he steps into the cozy room, he finds its his lucky day as his mother is in there as well.

 

“Hey, Jared,” Gerald greets him with a warm smile.  “You look excited.  Did something happen?”

 

“Yes,” Jared beams.  “As of this morning, Jensen is my boyfriend.”

 

“That’s fantastic!” Gerald grins.

 

“That’s wonderful, honey!” Sherri exclaims, coming over and sweeping Jared into a hug.

 

“We are so happy for you,” Gerald says, joining them and putting a hand on Jared’s shoulder.  “How does it feel?”

 

“Perfect,” Jared answers.  “It feels like everything is right.”

 

“And it should,” Sherri agrees.

 

“So, when do we get to meet him?” Gerald asks gleefully.

 

“When he’s ready,” Jared says, smile faltering a little.  “He’s still a bit jumpy about the whole werewolf business.”

 

“He’s bound to be, darling,” Sherri says, "what with being raised a hunter.  But if anyone can show him that this isn’t wrong, it’s you.”

 

“Thanks, Mom,” Jared’s smile lifts a little.  “I just… I don’t want to mess this up.  How’d you guys do it?”

 

“We took it slow, and Gerald let me decide when I was ready,” Sherri says, pushing a lock of hair out of Jared’s face as she gazes at him fondly.  “Not so different from you, baby.”

 

“It’ll work out, son,” Gerald says confidently.  “And when he’s ready, we’ll be more than pleased to meet him.  After all, he’s going to be the future Beta of this Pack and my son’s mate.  He’s practically family already!”

 

 

“So tell me a little bit more about your family,” Jensen requests.

“What do you want to know?” Jared asks.

“You said you’ve got a brother and a sister and your dad is the Alpha, but what about you mom?” Jensen asks.

“Well, my mom is Beta of the Pack until my mate and I take over,” Jared says.  “They met growing up and one day my Dad imprinted on her.  I guess it was the right time then.  They courted for a while and then she decided to accept him and they mated.”

“Beta?” Jensen asks.  “Like second in command?”

“Yes and no,” Jared replies.  “Yes, she’s second in the heirarchy of the Pack, but it’s also her gender.”

“What do you mean?” Jensen asks, confused.  “You aren’t just male and female?”

“No one is just male and female,” Jared says with a look.  “But no.  We fall into two categories with lots of grey areas that I won’t get into right now as it can get complicated.  Alphas are headstrong and proud and leaders.  They’re normally the more dominant in a relationship and tend to be impulsive and hotheaded.  My brother and I are alphas, Genevieve is an alpha, and so is Justin and most of the guys he hangs out with.  Betas, on the other hand, are calmer and slower to act.  They tend to think things through.  They’re also normally submissive in a relationship to their partner, but not in other relationships.  Danneel, for example, is a beta, but she’s anything but sweet and demure.”

“You can say that again,” Jensen snorts.  “And what about—how do you become a wolf if you’re not born one?  Does it have to be a bite?  Can any wolf do it?”

“No,” Jared answers.  “The bite would have to come from an alpha.”

“Like you?”

“Like me,” Jared confirms.  “And I would have to bite you deep enough to draw blood.”

“Nips don’t count?” Jensen tosses him a smile.

“Nips don’t count,” Jared smiles back.

“Any particular time?  Like a full moon or something?” Jensen asks.

“I could turn a human anytime,” Jared says.  “Just have to have my wolf teeth out,” he taps a blunted human incisor and Jensen shudders as he thinks about Jared’s long canines hiding somewhere in his hot mouth.

“Have you ever turned a human before?” Jensen asks.

“No,” Jared replies.  “Turning humans is a rare thing in our Pack.  We only turn our mates if they happen to be human, and since I hadn’t found mine until you… well, there are rules I have to follow.”

“Like what?”

“You have to be willing,” Jared says.  “It’s the death penalty to turn a human against their wishes.  We also have to be mates, as that is the only allowance we give.  And the Pack Alpha has to approve the union, especially in my case.”

Jensen’s heart pounds a little faster at the thought of meeting with the Pack Alpha, with Jared’s father, to seek consent to be together, but then Jared’s hands are on him, calming him and centering him.

“That’s only if you want to,” Jared assures him.

“You want to,” Jensen points out.

“You’re who I want to be with, Jensen,” Jared says.  “You not being turned isn’t a deal breaker.”

“Yes, it is,” Jensen argues.  “You can’t be Pack Alpha some day with a human by your side.”

Jared’s mouth tightens and he glances away and sighs.

“I don’t have to be Pack Alpha,” he says quietly.

“Yes, you do,” Jensen pushes.  “I won’t let you give that up because of me.”

“And I won’t turn you just because it’s what you think you have to do!” Jared declares.

“And what if it’s what I want?” Jensen snaps back.

“Is it?” Jared asks.  “I’m not convinced, because you still flinch every time these come out,” Jared says, dropping his wolf teeth and moving in on Jensen.

Jensen draws back on instinct; Jared moves so fast it’s startling, but the look in his eyes is resigned.

“Just like that,” Jared says lowly.

“Would you just hold on for one second?” Jensen demands as Jared starts to turn away.  “Yes, I jump back when you do that, but do you realize how quick you are?  Do you know how hard I fight everything I’ve learned so that the only reaction I do have is a flinch?  Jared, I’m trying here.  I want to do this, I want to be with you, but you’ve got to meet me halfway.”

Jared’s quiet for a moment and then his whole body relaxes.

“I’m sorry.  I’ve been expecting too much, and that's really unfair to you,” he says, and Jensen knows how hard it must be for him, for an alpha, to say.  “Tell me what to do and I’ll do it, I swear.”

“Let’s just take this slow, okay?” Jensen suggests.  “Why don’t I meet your father and then we’ll go from there.”

“You want to meet my dad?” Jared’s eyes snap to Jensen’s.

“Well, we need his blessing, don’t we?” Jensen asks.

“Yeah,” Jared says and a warm smile breaks out across his face.

“Any advice?” Jensen asks, nervous as they stand on the porch of Jared’s very large house.

“Relax and be yourself,” Jared says, taking Jensen’s clammy hand in his warm one and giving it a squeeze.   “He’s going to love you.  I promise.”

Jared leads them inside and Jensen marvels again at how normal Jared’s house is.  He’d have killed for this kind of life growing up.  He’d trade motel after motel and crappy houses and apartments any day for soccer pictures and baseball trophies and family dinners.

They go to a door on the first floor and Jared gives him a glance before knocking.  Jensen knows he’s checking to make sure he hasn’t started to panic or change his mind, but Jensen is resolute.  He’s chosen Jared and he intends to see this thing through, no matter what.

“Come in!” a voice calls from inside the room and Jared pushes the door open, stepping inside and pulling Jensen with him.

Jared’s mom and dad are there, the Alpha--and Jensen tries not to balk at that--standing up from behind a large desk, and Jared’s mom sitting on a comfy looking sofa with a book opened halfway through.

“Mom, Dad, I’d like for you to meet Jensen Ackles,” Jared says, bringing Jensen to his side.

“So this is Jensen,” the Alpha wolf smiles warmly and moves to greet him.  “It’s good to finally put a face with the name.  Jared’s talked about you non-stop since you came to town.”

“Dad,” Jared groans, blushing in embarrassment.

“It’s nice to meet you as well, sir,” Jensen responds, both of them ignoring Jared for the moment.

“Sir?  Hear that, Sherri?  Manners!” Gerald grins at his wife who smiles at them both.

“You say that like I don’t have any,” Jared says.

“Well…”

“Dad, seriously?” Jared grumbles.

“You’re a good boy and you know it, Jared Padalecki,” Sherri says from over Gerald’s shoulder as she comes over to greet Jensen.  “And if you’ve caught the attention of our son, then only the same could be said of you,” she says to Jensen, reaching out and pulling him into a hug.  “Welcome to our home,” she grins warmly as she releases him.

“Where are you taking me?” Jensen asks, sounding a little grumpy.

“My favorite spot,” Jared answers, tossing his boyfriend a smile over his shoulder.  “It’s not much further, I promise.”

“I feel like we’ve been walking forever,” Jensen complains.

“Well, we’d have been there by now if you’d have let me carry you,” Jared reminds him.

“Oh, hell no,” Jensen exclaims.  “I’m not a fucking girl.”

Jared grins and chuckles at the exact response he knew Jensen would give.  He stops suddenly and turns around in time to catch Jensen in the circle of his arms, pressing them close together, close enough to feel Jensen shiver at the contact.

“Believe me, I know you’re not a girl,” Jared says in a low voice and the leans in to nip at the skin of Jensen’s neck, just enough to tease and with none of his wolf teeth out.

Jensen would never forgive him for an accidental turn.  And he’d never forgive himself.  But that barest brush of dull human teeth does its job and has Jensen eagerly pushing against him.

“Let’s keep going,” Jensen insists, wiggling out of Jared’s grasp and forging ahead at a quicker pace.

The reach the clearing and Jared calls out, stopping Jensen in his stride.

“Are we there?” Jensen asks.

“Lay down,” Jared motions as he spreads the blanket he’d been carrying out on the ground.

Jensen obeys, laying on his back and Jared only takes a brief moment to appreciate the view before he joins his boyfriend, lying next to him and pressing their sides close together.

“I’ve been waiting for a clear night to bring you out here and show you this,” Jared says.

“It’s beautiful,” Jensen comments and Jared turns his head to watch Jensen as he looks at all of the stars.  “I’ve never seen them so bright before.”

“We don’t have much light pollution out here,” Jared explains.

“Can you see them better, the stars?” Jensen asks, turning and meeting Jared’s gaze.

“I don’t know,” Jared shrugs.  “I don’t think it works that way.”

“How do you mean?”

“Well, as an apex predator I see movement much better, I know that much, but I’ve never been human.  I don’t know how much different things like color and light are to you,” Jared says.

“Maybe one day I can tell you,” Jensen offers.

“Are you… are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Jared asks, sitting up quickly and keeping his eyes trained on Jensen.

“I… I’ve been thinking about it, about everything you’ve said, and I make no promises, but I feel something for you too, something strong, and I don’t know if I can ignore it,” Jensen says and Jared can’t help but throw himself down onto Jensen, crushing their mouths together as he fists his hands into Jensen’s short hair to hold him in place.

Jensen returns his kiss, hands tangling in Jared’s shirt as he groans and pushes up.  Jared thrusts a knee between Jensen’s legs and fits himself into the crease of Jensen’s hip as he grinds down, nearly growling into Jensen’s mouth as white hot pleasure shoots through him.

Jensen picks up Jared’s rhythm and breaks away from his mouth, panting Jared’s name as he wraps a leg over Jared’s hip, bringing their hard erections more in alignment and giving Jared more control over their pleasure.  And Jared’s control is slipping with every sound coming from his mate’s mouth, with every unconscious submission.  His wolf is begging him, demanding he take and claim, and it’s taking all of his energy to keep it at bay.

Jared buries his face in Jensen’s shoulder and takes several deep breaths, his mate’s scent heady and perfect as he grinds them both closer and closer to completion.  He can almost taste how close they both are to the edge and he moves his hands off of Jensen’s, trading his body for the blanket beneath them, digging his fingers in as his claws start to come out.

Their grinding is almost punishing now, tight and hard, and he’s sure there’ll be consequences later, but he can’t care and Jensen certainly doesn’t seem to either with the way he’s writhing and begging Jared to go harder, faster, clinging to him with a snug grip.  Jared can smell it on Jensen so clearly now, his approaching orgasm, can see even in the dark the faint blush creeping up his neck, can pick out the sound of his heart pounding harder, and Jared is not unaffected by it.

He can feel it the moment his canines descend, the alpha in him demanding he bite his mate now when he’s at the height of his pleasure, when the pain of the bite will only add to the ecstasy.  He growls low as Jensen tenses up, fingers digging in harder, and then comes with a long, deep moan.  The urge to bite is so strong now, too strong as the scent of Jensen’s release hits his nose.  In a split second decision, Jared turns his face and latches on to his own arm, teeth going deep as he stutters out his own release, hips moving erratically against Jensen’s lax body until he’s all spent.

“Oh my god, you’re bleeding!” Jensen exclaims not a second after he retracts his canines.

Jensen’s hands are on him then, soft and careful as he pushes at Jared’s shirt sleeve to inspect the damage.  So much for the afterglow.

“I’ll be fine,” Jared assures him, pushing his hands away and wiping off some of the blood to reveal light pink, healing skin.  “See?  Almost gone,” he smiles.

“What… how… did you bite yourself?  I didn’t imagine that?” Jensen questions.

“No, I bit myself,” Jared admits.

“Why?”

“Better me than you,” Jared shrugs.

“Oh,” Jensen says, looking thoughtful.  “Um, thanks, I think.  But I feel bad that you bit yourself because of me.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I’ve had worse,” Jared offers.

“I doesn’t,” Jensen grimaces.  “Is it going to be like that every time?”

“What?  That intense?  Am I going to bite myself to keep from turning you every time?” Jared asks and Jensen nods.  “Maybe.  I mean, it’s not going to be easy, but I’m willing to do whatever I have to do because after that?  I’m going to want to do it again.”

“Not going to stop you,” Jensen agrees with a sly smile.

“I think with time I’ll be able to control my wolf side better,” Jared says.

“We’ll just take it a day at a time?” Jensen asks.

“Yeah, one day at a time,” Jared smiles back.

“Hey,” Jensen says, getting Jared’s attention.  “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Jared returns and his smile is brighter than all of the stars in the sky.

 

 

“Jared, I have something I need to tell you,” Jensen says, pulling Jared to a stop in the parking lot.  It’s long after school let out but Jensen still takes a look around to make sure they’re alone.

 

“You know you can tell me anything,” Jared says as he reaches for Jensen’s hand, ever the tactile creature.  Jensen’s beginning to understand that Jared derives great comfort from touching him.

 

“I want you to make me like you,” Jensen says.

 

“Jensen, you… what about, I mean,” Jared argues abruptly.  “But your uncle…”

 

“He can go to hell,” Jensen says.  “I love you, and that’s not going to change.  There’s nothing he can do to stop me, and you know what I’m asking of you.”

 

“I do,” Jared says.  “But do you?”

 

“More than you think I do,” Jensen responds.  “I want this, Jared.  I wanted it in the field that night, but I didn't know it until after.  I want forever with you, Jay, but we can’t have that unless you turn me.”

 

Jensen watches as Jared’s eyes flash gold at the mention of turning him and his teeth descend.  There’s a palpable sense of danger in the air as Jared struggles to control the wolf, but Jensen’s not afraid.  He’s never been afraid of Jared.

 

“We need to get in my truck right now,” Jared says, voice a needy rasp.

 

“Why?  What’s going on?” Jensen asks.

 

“I have to get my hands on you,” Jared states.

 

“Then let’s go,” Jensen tightens his grip on Jared and pulls the werewolf along to his gigantic truck.

 

Jared unlocks and flings open the door to the backseat, shoving Jensen in and climbing in after.  Jensen crawls over the bench seat and flips onto his back in time for Jared to settle between his thighs.  He’s grateful for the lack of people in the parking lot and also for the dark tint Jared has in the back, because with the heated look Jared’s giving him, Jensen’s pretty sure they’re going to be getting at least a little naked and he doesn’t want anyone else seeing Jared like that.

 

Jared’s eyes are still gold as he leans down to meet Jensen’s lips.  Jensen opens up to him completely the moment Jared seals their mouths together, tongues meeting and curling together as Jared brings his hips down hard against Jensen’s, their denim-covered erections rubbing.  Jensen groans into Jared’s mouth and slides his hands into the back of Jared’s jeans, grabbing Jared’s tight ass and encouraging him to thrust against Jensen again.

 

Jared growls deep in his throat but it’s not a threatening sound.  It turns Jensen on even more to know the effect he has on this wolf, to know that he’s the one here making Jared come apart, making Jared want him even more.  That he can have this forever, if he wants to.

 

Jared brings one hand between them then, making quick work of the fastenings on Jensen’s jeans and shoving everything down his thighs.  Once Jared’s got him exposed, he wraps his large hand around Jensen’s dick and gives him a couple of teasing strokes.  Jensen drops his head back and pushes himself up through Jared’s fist, fucking into his hand and moaning with every squeeze of Jared’s fingers.

 

“Feels so good,” Jensen mumbles as he moves his hands over Jared’s hips, reaching around his arm and getting his jeans open and pushed down his thighs as well.

 

Jensen marvels at the feel of Jared in his hand, hot and very heavy.  He strokes up and down and when he reaches the base of Jared’s cock, it twitches in his hand and Jared almost collapses onto Jensen, his eyes rolling back and a deep moan vibrating through him.  Jensen does it again and can feel something there.

 

“What’s that?” he asks, stroking his fingers over the base of Jared’s dick again.

 

“It’s my knot,” Jared informs him.

 

“Your what?” Jensen asks.

 

“Not all of my wolf traits go away when I’m human,” Jared says, body trembling over Jensen as he continues to play with Jared’s deflated knot.  “I, um, when I get close to coming, it’ll swell up and stay that way until I’ve stopped.”

 

“Why do you have it?” Jensen asks.

 

“All male alphas have one,” Jared says haltingly.  “It’s for breeding.  If I were to mate with another wolf, it would lock me into them until I’d spent myself completely, then it would go down and I could pull out.”

 

“I see,” Jensen says.

 

“It’s weird, I know,” Jared turns his head away and Jensen’s not having any of that.

 

“It’s hot,” Jensen says, turning Jared’s face back to his.

 

“You think it’s hot?” Jared asks incredulously.

 

“Yeah,” Jensen smiles, stroking Jared’s dick again and making sure to pay extra attention to his knot.  “The idea of you fucking me with your dick, your knot swelling up and tying us together until you stop coming, it really turns me on.  See how wet I am for it, for you?” he asks, pushing up into Jared’s hand again, his cock leaking copious amounts of precome to slick the way.

 

“Oh god,” Jared groans, dropping his head down to the join of Jensen’s neck and shoulder.  “Jensen, you… I can’t.”

 

“Just let it go,” Jensen encourages him.

 

Jared lets out another growl and swats Jensen’s hand off of him.  Instead, he takes both of their cocks in his big hand and starts to jack them off together as he pushes his dick into his hand, the thick line of it rubbing the underside of Jensen’s erection and creating some truly amazing sensations.

 

Jensen thrusts up into Jared’s grip and Jared puts a hand on his hip, holding him still, his eyes glowing as he gazes down at Jensen.

 

“Let me take care of you,” Jared insists, his voice a deep rumble.

 

Jensen nods, moving his hands up through Jared’s hair, pulling him down into a kiss.

 

“Jay,” Jensen moans as Jared strokes them harder and faster, pushing Jensen closer and closer to the edge.  “Jay, I’m gonna--”

 

“That’s it, Jen,” Jared rasps.  “Come for me.”

 

Jensen’s helpless to stop himself.  He feels it building fast, burning through his veins, and then he’s coming to the sounds of Jared’s harsh breaths and the feel of him all over Jensen.  Jared works him through it until he’s a twitching, trembling mess.  And just when Jensen thinks Jared couldn’t possibly get any hotter or dirtier, he brings his hand covered in Jensen’s come to his mouth and cleans it all off with a look of such pleasure on his face that had Jensen not just come his brains out, he might have gotten hard again.

 

“You,” Jensen pants.  “You like that?” he can’t help himself from asking.

 

“Yeah,” Jared says around a finger.  “I can taste everything about you.  I can taste how much you want me, how right we are for each other.”

 

If it was anyone else saying that, Jensen would think them crazy, and if it were anyone else half naked, hovering over Jensen, and licking his come off his hand, the whole thing would be beyond ridiculous, but it’s Jared and it’s the hottest moment of his life so far.  And if this is what being mated to a werewolf is like all the time, then sign him up.

 

“What about you?” Jensen asks when he realizes Jared hasn’t come.

 

“Not worth the clean up,” Jared shakes his head but slowly rubs his erection against Jensen’s hip, as if he’s teasing himself or taking the edge off or something.

 

“But--”

 

“When I said I come until my knot goes down, that includes when I come outside of another person,” Jared explains.  “Believe me when I say that it’s more than inconvenient.”

 

“But you came that night in the field,” Jensen points out.

 

“And I had the biggest mess in the world sticking to me the entire walk back,” Jared says and Jensen pulls a face.  “Hey, no.  It was worth it.  But I’m learning to control myself.  And getting you off is just as good.”

 

“Because you can eat my come?” Jensen asks and feels so dirty for saying that out loud.  It’s one thing to watch it.  It’s something completely different to say it.

 

“Do you think it’s gross?” Jared asks.  “Or weird?”

 

“Maybe a little weird,” Jensen answers.  “But it’s kind of really hot too, and maybe that’s why I find it weird.  Because I didn’t think I’d like it so much.”

 

“Good,” Jared grins and leans down to kiss him.

 

Jared was very thorough, but Jensen can still detect a hint of his musky flavor, and that’s another thing he didn’t think he’d really like and actually doesn’t mind.

 

“Love you,” Jared murmurs into his lips and Jensen returns it before kissing him again

 

 

 

“So walk me through this,” Jensen says.  “What’s going to happen?”

 

“When I turn you?” Jared asks and Jensen nods.  “I’ll bite you, and then the change will start.  It’s different for everyone, but you’ll run a fever, feel achy, you’ll probably be out for most of it, but as soon as the change is complete, you’ll feel stronger, faster, be able to see and smell things you never could before, and you’ll heal at an accelerated rate.”

 

“That’s not so bad,” Jensen says.

 

“You’ll also be a beta,” Jared says.  “You know wolves are classed differently based on our specific biology, but those who are turned take on a compatible biological gender to the wolf that bit them.  In your case, because I am an alpha, you’ll be a beta, and you just might become a carrier.”

 

“A carrier?” Jensen questions.

 

“As the future Pack Alpha, it’s important for my line to continue,” Jared says.  “There’s a strong chance that a bite from me could turn you into a wolf that can carry my heirs.”

 

“Oh, um…,” Jensen’s brain kind of gives out then and he’s left staring dumbly at Jared, who is looking at him with such uncertainty, such anxiety, that Jensen feels bad.  It’s not that he doesn’t want kids.  It’s just, well, this was never an option or even one he’d ever entertained on his strangest days.  “I really don’t know how to respond to that.”

 

“I know it’s kind of weird,” Jared says with a scrunch to his face that lets Jensen know Jared is terrified that this new fact will send him running to the hills.  “But if it helps any, it’s fairly normal in my Pack.  Our male carriers have been revered Pack members for hundreds of years.”

 

Jensen remains silent.  There’s hardly anything going on in his head that he can form into coherent sentences, so he continues to stare.

 

“Jen, say something please.  You’re scaring me,” Jared admits quietly.

 

“I, uh, class,” Jensen manages, pointing down the hall.  “I’ll… later.  I promise.”

 

“Are you freaked out?” Jared asks.

 

“I’m… just, later,” Jensen says and turns away from his boyfriend.

 

This shit just keeps coming.

 

 

“Oh.  My.  God,” Chad gasps for breath between laughing fits.  “I wish I could have been there.”

 

“Chad,” Jared grumbles.

 

“No, seriously, dude,” Chad says.  “You told him you wanted to have ass babies with him.  I just… that had to have been awkward.”

 

“Well, it wasn’t particularly fun,” Jared says.

 

"Did you even think about it, or did it come rushing out of your mouth like word vomit?" Chad asks.

 

"I just--it just came out, kind of like I was giving a lecture on werewolf reproductive biology," Jared admits with a grimace.  "It was horrible.  I could hear myself, but I couldn't stop it.   One minute we we're talking about turning, and the next I'm telling him about making babies."

 

Chad seems to consider him for a second.  Jared knows this can only mean something really crass or really profound is about to come out of his friend's mouth.  No one has ever been able to accurately predict which, and Jared certainly doesn't dare to take a guess now.

 

“Here's how I see it.  He might not have been expecting to hear all that and you may have way over-shared way too soon, but there is one good thing,” Chad says.  “At least now he knows everything.  Now he can make a completely informed decision on whether or not he wants you to bite him and have lots of sex and babies.”

 

And crude though Chad may be, he’s right, and Jared grudgingly admits it.

  


 

 

Jensen's been thinking about what Jared said all week.  If he's being honest with himself, becoming a carrier isn't freaking him out nearly as much as it should, and that is what's freaking him out the most.  Well, second most.

He's been avoiding Jared for days too, and he knows it's stressing his boyfriend out.  Jared's been trying to corner him in the halls but so far Jensen's hunter training has enabled him to evade the werewolf.  He feels bad about it, but he really has needed the space.

He's been doing a lot of thinking about his future with Jared, about leaving his uncle and his old life and joining Jared's Pack.  He's been thinking about if he can lead with Jared, if he's strong enough to be what Jared needs and what the Pack needs.  That alone freaks him out more than the thought of him having Jared's babies.  Although, the more he thinks about that particular detail, the more he finds himself actually amenable to the idea, even if he can't quite wrap his brain around the how of it right now.

It's between third and fourth period that he finally lets Jared catch up with him.  He's done avoiding.  He's made his choice.  He never really had the option to choose something else and he realizes this now.  It was always going to be Jared.  He was always going to choose Jared, from the moment they met, their fates were sealed.

"Hey!" Jared says brightly, huffing a little as he had to jog to catch up to Jensen.

"Hey," Jensen responds as they fall in step with each other.

"Look, I know I freaked you out the other day and I'm really sorry about that," Jared begins. "But I'm kind of glad you know what can happen because I'd rather you have all of the information upfront about turning than finding this stuff out later."

"I'm fine with that, Jared," Jensen tells him and Jared hits the brakes, stumbling for a second before catching back up.

"Really?" Jared asks incredulously.  "Then why have you been avoiding me?"

"Because I'm scared I won't be enough," Jensen admits.  "I don't want you to turn me and mate me and then realize what a mess I am and decide I'm not worth it."

"Jensen," Jared says kindly, warmly, tugging him out of the traffic and into an empty classroom.  "I will never think that.  That is not how this thing works.  You are my mate and I will love you and think the sun shines out of your ass until my dying day.  Yes, we're young, but there are some things that I do know, and that's one of them."

"You promise?"

"Jen, if you can accept having my babies, then I can accept your past," Jared says, holding him close.  "So long as I'm part of your future."

"That's all I want," Jensen says.  "You came in with your ridiculously gorgeous smile and stupid floppy hair, and I never had a chance, did I?"

"What do you mean?" Jared asks with an amused smile.

"I was always going to love you," Jensen says.  "We were always going to be here, weren't we?"

"Only if it was what you wanted," Jared says.

"It is," Jensen confirms.

Jared smiles at him and takes his hand, stroking the back of it with his long, warm fingers.  Jensen revels in the feel of Jared’s caress for a minute before Jared takes a deep breath and speaks again.

"So, I've had enough of school today," Jared announces.  "Want to skip with me?"

"You're asking me to blow off school?" Jensen asks like Jared's grown another head.

"I'm asking you to ditch classes and come make out with me instead, yes," Jared says.  "Are you in?"

"Of course I am," Jensen smiles.

 

“Where are we going?” Jensen asks as Jared leads him to his truck in the school parking lot.

“My house,” Jared says, unlocking the vehicle.  “No one’s home.  Figured we could do with a bit of privacy.”

“Are you sure that’s okay?” Jensen asks as he slides into the passenger seat and Jared hops in on his side, starting the engine and putting the truck in drive.

“Yeah, why?” Jared asks, glancing at Jensen.  “Hey, we don’t have to do anything.  We can just hang out.  I just want to be with you right now without distractions.”

“And you consider school a distraction?” Jensen raises an eyebrow.

“Only when we’re not in the same room,” Jared replies, pulling onto the highway that will take them to Packland and Jared’s house.

“Some leader you are,” Jensen snorts, teasing Jared.

“Hey!  I make excellent grades and I was voted student council president four years in a row,” Jared defends with a grin.

“I’m sure,” Jensen says like he doesn’t believe Jared.  He knows better, of course, but Jared’s fun to play with.

“You’re a bad boyfriend,” Jared says with a grin.  “You should be defending my honor, not questioning it.”

“Forgive me, your highness,” Jensen mock bows in the cab.  “I won’t make that mistake again.”

“You’d better not,” Jared chuckles, reaching over and taking Jensen’s hand, squeezing it a few times.  Jensen can feel Jared relax at the touch, like being connected to Jensen in even the smallest way calms him.

They arrive not long after that, and just as Jared said, the house is empty except for them.  Jensen feels a tension in the air, something building between them, and he thinks he knows what it is.  It’s the same thing that’s been happening every time they’re together since they met.  It’s that electrical charge, that invisible pull that’s been getting stronger and stronger.  And Jensen knows where this is going like he knows the sky is blue and grass is green.

“You want something to drink?” Jared offers, turning toward the kitchen the moment they get in the house.

“No,” Jensen answers, reaching out and pulling Jared back.  “Let’s go upstairs.”

“Upstairs?” Jared asks, eyebrows drawn together like he’s not quite sure what Jensen’s talking about.

“To your room,” Jensen clarifies and feels a jolt of anticipation turn his body hot and shaky.

“Jensen,” Jared breathes out softly, stepping in close.  “What… I… Do you… I mean, don’t feel like you have to--”

“I don’t,” Jensen cuts him off, eyes flicking down to his pink mouth and back up to his eyes that are burning bright.  “I want to.  God, Jared, it’s all I want anymore.”

Jared doesn’t say anything, just nods and takes Jensen’s hand, leading him up the stairs to his bedroom, to the place where they really began, where they shared their first kiss, where they decided to see where this thing between them would lead.  Jared pushes open the door and Jensen steps through, eyes going immediately to the bed Jared neglected to make that morning.  He smiles fondly to himself.  He’s a bit of a neat freak, always making his bed before school, and where Jared’s inability to make his own bed would have irritated him with anyone else, he finds it endearing.  At least for now.  He can definitely see himself getting flustered with Jared over it when they’re older, maybe even going a bit grey together.

And there’s another happy thought.

“What are you thinking about?” Jared asks softly, catching Jensen’s attention.

He must have a completely sappy look on his face because Jared is looking at him like he hung the moon.

“You,” Jensen says.  “And me.  And our long, long future together.”

“Oh yeah?” Jared asks, stepping in close and cupping Jensen’s face, tilting it up so Jared can kiss him softly.  “How long?”

“The rest of our lives,” Jensen answers, kissing Jared back.

“I like the sound of that,” Jared smiles against Jensen’s mouth before sealing their lips together again.

“Bed, now,” Jensen demands.

Jared complies immediately, walking them over and laying Jensen down before following him, covering him with his larger frame.  Jensen’s never felt more protected, more cherished, more loved than he does underneath Jared.  It’s a bit weird for him too, because just six months ago he’d have thought it would be emasculating, but it’s not.  Jared gives him all of the power, lets him take control and dictate where everything is going.  It’s heady and Jensen loves it so much.

Jared strips him slowly, hands gentle, tugging fabric here and there, moving Jensen around to get his clothes off without causing injury to him or his garments.  As soon as Jared’s got Jensen naked, Jensen starts working on his werewolf boyfriend.  Jensen’s not nearly as controlled as Jared, impatiently pulling at his shirt and getting frustrated with the fly on his jeans.

“Just relax,” Jared suggests.  “I’ll take care of it.”

“It’s just, why is it so hard to do backwards?” Jensen whines.

“You’re not used to it,” Jared says casually.

“And you are?” Jensen asks with a raised eyebrow.

“Werewolf senses help,” Jared points out and Jensen huffs.

Jared sits up between Jensen’s thighs and pulls his shirt off over his head, and Jensen stops complaining.  It’s hard to keep his thoughts together when all he can do is concentrate on the obscene play of muscles over Jared’s torso.  His boyfriend is indeed a work of art.

Jared kicks his jeans and boxers off next, all of their clothes in a pile on the floor at the end of Jared’s bed.  And then Jared’s back on top of Jensen, bare skin to bare skin, and it’s so much better than Jensen could have ever imagined.

Jared rubs against him, angling them so that their cocks brush each other on every push of Jared’s hips as he kisses Jensen hard and deep.  Jensen puts his hands everywhere he can reach, feeling the muscles of Jared’s shoulders and back ripple with every flex of his hips.

Jared breaks away from Jensen’s mouth and makes his way down his throat, pausing as Jensen’s breath hitches.  Jared’s teeth and tongue find a particularly sensitive spot on the join of his shoulder and neck and Jared proceeds to tease him mercilessly, turning Jensen into a writhing mess beneath him.  Jensen tangles his fingers in Jared’s hair as he holds him in place, and that’s when he feels the blunt scrape of Jared’s teeth.  That alone, combined with the thought that Jared could pin him down and bite him right now, almost has Jensen coming.

Jared chuckles and slips out of Jensen’s grip as he continues down, and it’s like he knew exactly what Jensen was thinking, the fucker.  Jared plays a bit with Jensen’s nipples, rolling them in his mouth and flicking his tongue over one and then the other while his fingers pluck at the other, and Jensen never knew he liked that so much.  He arches up against Jared and grabs at the sheet, moaning out Jared’s name, and Jared takes it like a cue to go lower and lower until Jensen can feel Jared’s breath on his bare cock.

“Oh god, Jay,” Jensen whimpers as Jared flicks the tip of his erection with his tongue.

Without warning, Jared sucks Jensen’s cock into his mouth and swallows him down.  Jensen feels like his breath has been stolen right out of his chest.  He jacknifes up on the bed and is slammed back down a millisecond later, Jared’s arm a band of immovable steel across his middle, holding him down.  And, dear fucking sweet baby Jesus, Jensen was so wrong every time he thought he’d been as turned on as he could get.

Jared pinning him with one arm to the bed is the hottest moment of his life to date, and all he can do is push his hips up against Jared’s strong hold and babble nonsensically at him as he sucks Jensen’s brain out through his dick.  He’s repeating Jared’s name over and over, and then Jared pulls off and shifts, nudging Jensen’s thighs apart as he settles in between.

Jensen watches in rapt fascination as Jared sucks a finger into his mouth and gets it shiny and wet.  He looks up at Jensen, eyes not leaving his for even a second as he pulls his finger out.

“You alright with this?” Jared asks, voice rough and growly, and Jensen doesn’t know if it’s from being turned on and trying to control his wolf side or if it’s from having Jensen’s cock down his throat.

“Yeah,” Jensen says, his voice lower and softer than he’s ever heard himself.  “I want to.”

“Tell me to stop if it gets to be too much or if you don’t want this anymore, okay?” Jared says and Jensen nods.

Jared gives his finger another good lick and then lowers it from Jensen’s sight.  The next thing he knows, Jared’s stroking his spit-slick finger over his hole, sliding it around and getting him all wet.  He shudders at the feel of Jared there, touching him where no one else ever has.  It’s incredible, the idea that Jared’s going to stick his finger in him… well, hopefully more than just a finger, but the anticipation is making him tremble again.

Jared goes back to Jensen’s cock then, licking and sucking and bobbing up and down on it, going further and further each time until he’s swallowed him to the root again, and that’s when he pushes his finger into Jensen.  He doesn’t have the control to stop himself from arching up into Jared’s mouth, and Jared isn’t holding him down this time.  Jared goes with it, though Jensen can tell he wasn’t expecting it, and Jared relaxes his jaw and throat a little more, letting Jensen move in and out of his mouth of his own accord as he starts to thrust his finger into Jensen’s hole in time with Jensen’s movements.

It’s good, too, very good.  Jensen never thought it’d feel like this.  Well, he never really thought he’d be here, fucking into his boyfriend’s warm, wet mouth while Jared fingers him open.  On the next inward thrust, Jared adds a second finger, pushing both in with a smooth glide.  Jensen groans at the feel of two fingers in his ass, bigger and better than just the first, and he can’t help wonder how Jared’s cock is going to feel.  And his knot.  Dear god, how is that even going to happen?  And Jared, locked inside of him, filling him up with his come, that’s got him twitching in Jared’s mouth, hips stuttering as his orgasm washes over him.

He knows he’s moaning loudly, can feel his cock spasming in Jared’s mouth as Jared works him through his orgasm, throat fluttering around him as Jared swallows everything Jensen has to give him.  And Jesus, Jensen can feel himself clenching Jared’s fingers in his ass, and then Jared hooks them upward and Jensen whites out.

The next thing he knows is Jared over him, stroking his face and talking to him softly.

“Hey, there you are,” Jared smiles as Jensen looks up at him, things finally registering again in his brain.

“That was intense,” Jensen says.

“A little,” Jared agrees.  “Never had your prostate stimulated, I take it?”

“No,” Jensen shakes his head.  “But that was awesome.”

Jared just chuckles lightly and continues to hold Jensen.

“Hey,” Jensen says, getting Jared’s attention.  “We, uh, I want to keep going.”

“What do you want to do?” Jared asks, his eyes searching Jensen’s face as a slight flush creeps up his chest.

“I want you to put your fingers in me again,” Jensen says, post orgasmic bliss making him bold.  “And then I want you to fuck me.”

“Oh, Jensen, I’m not going to fuck you,” Jared says.  “But I will make love to you.”

Jensen feels himself go all hot at Jared’s words and he pulls Jared into a kiss.  He pushes his tongue into Jared’s mouth, swirling it around Jared’s in a dirty, hot dance.  Jared nips at his lower lip and sucks it into his mouth before releasing Jensen with a soft pop.  He leans over and opens his nightstand to take out a bottle Jensen recognizes as lube, and then he settles back between Jensen’s thighs.

Jensen watches as Jared squeezes out a small dollop, the slick super shiny as he rubs it over his fingers before lowering his hand again.  Jared rubs his fingers over Jensen’s semi-slick hole, spreading the lube around and then sliding first one finger quite easily, and then another into his hole again.  Jensen breathes through it, relaxing and letting Jared take control, take the lead, and guide him through this process.

Jared starts twisting his wrist, his fingers spiraling around inside of Jensen, adding another sensation into the mix, and then he begins to scissor his fingers out, stretching Jensen a little more.  It feels good, and Jensen thinks this will be easy, and then Jared adds a third long finger.  There’s a slight discomfort at first, a little bit of a burn, but Jared works him through slowly, taking his time and adding lube when he needs it.  Jensen’s grateful that Jared’s such a considerate, caring lover.

“How do you feel?” Jared asks as he continues pushing his fingers in and out of Jensen.

“Good,” Jensen replies, even his dick is starting to come back to life, filling halfway and twitching a little at the thought of Jared sliding his cock into him and taking him.  “I--I think I’m ready.”

“You think you’re ready?” Jared echoes.  “Jensen, I’m not small, and that’s not bragging or exaggeration.  I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t,” Jensen argues, sitting up on his elbows.  “And you’ve done all you can without putting your dick in me.  Plus, I’m getting a little impatient and want you.”

“I want you too,” Jared says, allowing Jensen to pull him up by his shoulders.

Jared’s fingers slip out of Jensen and he suddenly feels very loose and open.  He knows that feeling is only going to increase because Jared’s not wrong.  He is very big, and Jensen knows that it’s going to hurt no matter what he says to Jared.  But he’s going to do this, for both of them.  He wants to do this more than anything.  He has to know what it’s like to be with Jared while completely human or he’ll always wonder and it will eat him alive.

“Come on, Jared,” Jensen groans as he pushes up against the other boy.  “Want to feel that big alpha cock in me.  Want to feel you.”

“Yeah,” Jared gasps and thrusts against Jensen, and then he shudders at the feel of Jared brushing so close to where he wants him.  “Ready?”

“Been waiting on you,” Jensen teases, wrapping his legs around Jared’s hips and opening himself to the werewolf.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment from the first time I saw you,” Jared confesses, bright gold eyes meeting Jensen’s.

“I’m yours, Jared,” Jensen declares, and it feels so right.

“And I’m yours,” Jared returns, guiding himself to Jensen’s hole and pushing in slowly.

Jensen gasps at the stretch and relaxes as best he can, breathing through it until Jared is buried to the root.  It burns like fire and it takes everything Jensen has to stay relaxed around Jared, to not clench down and force him out or push him away.  He wants this, and it’s worth it.  He’ll get used to it quickly enough.  He steadies his breathing and looks up at the utter bliss on Jared’s face, and that’s when the burn starts to fade.

“So good,” Jared groans and kisses Jensen hard and slow.  “Knew you could take me, meant for me.”

“Yeah,” Jensen pants, hissing and gripping Jared’s arms tight as he pulls out a little and slides back in, starting a slow, steady rhythm that Jensen adjusts to quickly enough.  “I’m good, Jared,” he says after a few minutes, giving his boyfriend the permission he needs.

Jared understands Jensen’s words for what they are and picks up his pace, slamming into him on the next trust.  Jensen feels like Jared’s knocked the breath out of him with every snap of his hips.  And then Jared hits his prostate with his cock and it sends hot liquid fire surging through his veins and has him crying out as Jared hits it over and over again.

In no time at all, Jensen is teetering on the edge and he has just enough mental function left to know that it’s now or never.

“Bite me,” Jensen moans, arching up and turning his head, exposing his neck and shoulder to Jared.

“What?” Jared’s movements falter.

“Bite me, Jared,” Jensen commands.  “Turn me.  I want it.”

Jensen knows he shouldn’t be, but he’s surprised when Jared doesn’t hesitate, just lets out a low, deep growl and sinks his teeth into the soft skin where Jensen’s neck and shoulder meet. Jensen cries out and arches up and off of the bed, coming hard as the fire in his veins turns to lava, burning through him from the point where Jared’s teeth are embedded in his skin.

He’s only vaguely aware of Jared coming, of him growling out his release as he hangs onto Jensen with his teeth and pumps into him brutally hard as he empties himself.  And then Jared lets go, licking the bite, and Jensen feels himself go weightless as the claim is complete and the turn begins.

“Love you,” Jared whispers, kissing Jensen across his face and then on his lips.

“Mmm, you too,” Jensen mumbles and then everything goes dark.

 

 

As soon as Jensen passes out, Jared works diligently to clean him up and make sure he’s comfortable before taking a seat at his bedside and waiting, watching.  Jensen’s so still, the only movement the rise and fall of his chest beneath the blanket Jared draped over him.  Jared can hardly believe that this is happening, that his boyfriend, his mate, asked for the bite.  It’s an incredible feeling, knowing now that nothing short of death will stop them.

He takes Jensen’s hand in his as he feels for the boy’s pulse, tests his temperature, listens to the steady beat of his heart.  He knows Jensen is strong, that’ll he’ll pull through, but there’s always a small chance something could go wrong and Jared wants to be here for every single second that Jensen is out.  He wonders briefly what Jensen’s fur will look like.  He imagines he’ll be some beautiful, buttery color, like sunshine on buttercups, but anything at this point is really just a shot in the dark.  Coat colors have never been known to follow any kind of predictable pattern.

His ears prick up a moment later as he hears his father's car pull into the drive and catches the scent of both of his parents.  They will know what has happened, he has no doubt of it.

It's long minutes later that his door opens and his father comes inside.

"Hey, son," Gerald says calmly.

"I, uh," Jared stalls. He'd never actually thought about what to say to his father.  He's really only been thinking of Jensen.

"I know," Gerald nods.  "Caught his scent mixed with yours at the bottom of the stairs and it only got stronger the closer I got to your room."

"Yeah," Jared says because he can't think of anything else and his father is right.

"So it's done?" Gerald asks.

"We were... and he asked me to," Jared says.  "He asked me to bite him."

Jensen had to have known what he was doing, asking Jared to bite him at the peak of their lovemaking.  In that moment, Jared was more wolf than human.  There was no way he wouldn’t have capitulated.  Jared didn’t stand a single chance of stopping himself from biting Jensen once permission was given.

"How are you feeling?" Gerald asks, placing a hand on Jared's shoulder and squeezing.  "You look a little pale."

"I'm fine," Jared insists.  "I'm just worried about Jensen.  I didn't know he'd pass out."

"It's different for everyone, you know that," Gerald says.  "And the circumstances around when the bite was given have a lot to do with how a person reacts."

"It's my fault then?" Jared asks.

"Not at all," Gerald says.  "He obviously trusts you a lot and loves you, to ask you to bite him in the heat of your passion.  And you took care of him.  You're a wonderful mate, Jared.  I never doubted you, and neither does Jensen."

"Thanks, Dad," Jared says as his father goes leave the room.

His father smiles and then he's alone with Jensen again.

 

  


“How is he?” his father asks a little after midnight.

“Fevered, but strong,” Jared replies, eyes not leaving Jensen for a second.

“I’m proud of you,” Gerald says, placing a hand on Jared’s shoulder.  “You are a good man, Jared, and your mate will help you become a great Alpha.  You chose well.”

“Thank you,” Jared says, placing his hand over his father’s, feeling reassured that his Alpha, his dad is there with him.  “How long do you think it’ll be before he wakes up?”

“It’s hard to tell,” Gerald says.  “But he’s young and resilient.  It shouldn’t be too much longer.”

They sit in silence for a while, Gerald a reassuring presence, helping Jared stay anchored and calm as they listen to the sound of Jensen’s even and deep breathing.  It helps Jared, centers him, lets him know that so long as Jensen doesn’t seem to be in distress that the turn is taking and he’ll wake soon.

Just as the sun is peaking out over the horizon, Jared finally can feel Jensen, can feel him like a mate.

“Dad,” Jared says softly.

“I know,” Gerald responds.  “I’ll be downstairs.  We’ll have a place set for you and your mate at the table for breakfast when you’re ready to join us.”

The first thing Jensen is aware of when he comes to is Jared.

Jared is everywhere, all around him, inside of him, and Jensen can smell him.  Scratch that, he can practically feel him, can almost feel his heartbeat, and that’s when he opens his eyes to find his mate sitting at his side, watching him with a careful expression.

“Hey,” Jensen rasps.

“Hey,” Jared returns and there are colors in his voice that Jensen’s never heard before.  “How do you feel?”

The concern Jensen can feel from Jared is staggering.

“Different,” Jensen answers, sitting up and rubbing his face to clear it of sleep.  “I don’t know.  I can hear your heartbeat and feel your worry.  Does that… is the bond complete?  Are we mated?”

“Technically, I claimed you and turned you, but the mating is not complete until I knot you,” Jared says.  “Now that you’re wolf, we can complete the bond anytime.”

“Anytime?” Jensen asks.  “How about now?”

“Now?” Jared arches an eyebrow.  “You don’t want to adjust to being a werewolf first?  Maybe eat some breakfast?”

“I don’t want to wait to be bonded to you, to truly be your mate,” Jensen says.  “Jared, now that I’m a wolf, all I can think about is you in me, taking me, mating me.”

Jared’s on him in a flash, flattening him to the bed as a low rumble sounds in his chest, and Jensen arches and whines instinctively, baring his throat to his alpha.  Jared seems pleased with his submission, kissing his neck, brushing his lips over the bite mark that turned Jensen just last night, and oh god.  Jared’s mouth over his still sensitive turning bite feels like someone’s hand on his dick.  It makes him hard, makes him ache, makes him need Jared more.

“Please,” Jensen begs, hands tangling in Jared’s hair.  “Alpha.”

Jared groans at his proper title and rubs against Jensen as he tears the clothes from their bodies.  Naked again, Jared turns Jensen over onto his knees, pushing his face down, and Jensen hears Jared take in a deep breath as he holds him still.

Then Jared pushes two fingers into Jensen with no warning.  Jensen’s about to protest when he realizes how easy it is, how good it feels to have Jared’s fingers in him again, how much better it feels this time.

“So wet already,” Jared says.  “So good.  Such a good beta for your alpha.”

Jensen’s pushing back against Jared’s hand, wanting more and feeling how slick he’s getting.  It’s something he’ll have to figure out later, this whole self-lubricating thing, because that certainly wasn’t in the brochure, but right now it’s amazing.  It’s better than anything he could have possibly imagined, and he’s imagined quite a lot.

It takes Jensen a few seconds to figure out that the whining he keeps hearing is in fact coming from him.  He gasps as Jared slides in a third finger, and Jensen knows it feels good but he can tell that it’s wholly unnecessary as he’s open enough all on his own for Jared to quit fucking around and fuck him already.

Jared chuckles over him and withdraws his fingers.

“If you insist,” he says and that’s when Jensen realizes he’d been speaking aloud and not in his head.  “Who am I to deny you, baby?”

“Baby?” Jensen asks, tone slightly confused because he’s still not a fucking girl, but any other response he might have had is completely taken away from him along with his ability to speak anything other than obscenities and Jared’s name as his mate pushes into his hot, slick channel.

“Jensen,” Jared chokes out.  “God, you feel so amazing.”

Jensen just moans in reply, arching his back and shoving himself back into Jared hard, wanting more, needing all of Jared in him.  It’s more intense than when he was human.  Sure, Jared felt good stroking in and out of him and when he hit Jensen’s prostate it was like fireworks were going off.

But now?  It’s beyond words how Jared feels inside of him.  Jensen can feel everything and it feels like it was meant to be.  Jared inside of him, moving with him, it’s such raw, animalistic pleasure.  It’s fire in his veins, it’s lightning down his spine, it’s more than he can handle and he still needs more.  It’s this clawing, aching, crippling feeling of nothing more or less than the love of his life giving him the greatest pleasure he never imagined.

Jared grasps his hips in his hands, grip tight but not hard, as he moves faster, hips pistoning into Jensen hard enough to bump him forward with every thrust.  And Jensen’s delirious with it.  He can barely catch his breath, the sensations that Jared’s cock is eliciting are almost too much for him to take.  He’s on the brink of becoming a sobbing, drooling mess, and all he can do is fist the sheets in his hands and brace back against Jared, meeting him thrust for thrust as he feels his pleasure build higher and higher.

“Gonna knot you,” Jared warns him and Jensen groans in response, feeling his dick twitch at the prospect.  “Gonna have to relax, okay?”

“‘k,” Jensen pants.

“I mean it,” Jared says and Jensen can feel it now, something larger pressing against his hole.  It’s big and Jared means to put it in him.  “If you tense up I could hurt you.”

“Won’t hurt me,” Jensen manages to say.  “Love you, want this.”

“Love you too,” Jared says, grinding into him.  “Oh god, do I love you.”

Jensen does his best to let his body go lax and on the next thrust, he meets Jared harder than before.  He feels it the instant that Jared’s knot pops through.  It’s fucking huge and there’s a slight burn and Jared’s stopped moving so much, hips just circling slowly against Jensen, and that’s when he realizes Jared really can’t move, at least not like before.  They truly are stuck together.

Jared swivels his hips a certain way and it’s all Jensen can do to keep from screaming at the white hot pleasure that rockets up his spine, threatening to fry his brain.  If this is what it’s like all the time, then he and Jared are never going to leave this bed.

Jared hits the same spot again and again and before Jensen can even realize what’s happening, his orgasm rips through him, his cock completely untouched.  He twitches and spasms as he comes all over the bed and he can feel himself clench up tight around Jared’s knot.  It’s not nearly as weird as he thought it’d be, and whatever it is that Jared is doing, keeps doing, it draws Jensen’s orgasm out longer than he’s ever experienced.

Jared’s coming hot on the heels of Jensen.  He lets out a grunt and a low growl that makes Jensen shiver, and then he’s jerking against Jensen like he can’t control himself, moaning Jensen’s name as Jensen feels the first pulse of Jared’s knot.  Jared collapses on Jensen’s back, panting against his sweaty skin, mouth kissing everything he can reach and tongue tasting, and Jensen thinks this must be what heaven is like.  He really can’t imagine anything better, and when Jared rolls them over to their sides, he goes with it, letting his mate arrange them so that they’re both comfortable.

“Hey,” Jensen says softly, stroking his hand over Jared’s arm that’s wrapped around his middle.

“Hey,” Jared replies, voice gruff and deep.  “How are you doing?”

“Good,” Jensen says with a smile even though Jared can’t see it.  “Never better, actually.  You?”

“Fantastic,” Jared says, the word drawn out on a half-moan as his hips buck into Jensen’s a little.

“Still coming?” Jensen asks.

“Yeah,” Jared answers.  “It’s going to be a while.  First knottings are always messy and long.”

“So it’s not always like this?” Jensen asks.

“Yes and no,” Jared starts.  “It’s always going to be this intense, but we won’t always be tied for as long.  The longest times are the first time and when you’re in heat.”

“Heat?” Jensen questions.

“Remember when I said you’d likely be a carrier?” Jared begins.  “You’ll also go into heat.  That’s the only times you can become with pup.”

“Ah,” Jensen responds, because really.  How else is he supposed to react?  He chose this knowing full well what it meant, and he’s certainly not backing out now.  “So we’re safe this time around?  Because I’m not ready for fatherhood yet, you know.  I still have to graduate high school and then college.”

“You want to go to college?” Jared asks, voice interested and more clear.

“Yeah, don’t you?” Jensen says.

“I guess I never really thought about it,” Jared says.  “Always figured I’d stay on with my dad and learn what I needed through him.  But if you want to go to college, then we’ll go to college.”

“Really?” Jensen asks.

“Of course,” Jared says, pressing a kiss to Jensen’s shoulder.  “Anything that you want, anything that makes you happy will make me happy.”

“Are you sure?” Jensen says.  “I mean, if you never thought about it, what would you study?  Would you even want to?”

“I’ve always liked English,” Jared says with a shrug that Jensen can feel.  “But maybe a business degree would benefit me more here.”

“You don’t have to decide now, you know,” Jensen says.

“Yeah, I know,” Jared replies with a smile against Jensen’s skin.

They lay in silence for a few moments as Jared’s orgasm winds down.   It’s not long before he slides free and Jensen feels his absence keenly.  It’s weird to feel so empty after being stuffed full for so long.  He also feels really sloppy and dirty as the first drops of Jared’s come slowly leak from him.

“Uh, I feel kind of gross,” Jensen says as they sit up and face each other.

“Shower,” Jared suggests with a smile, taking Jensen by the hand and dragging him into the attached bathroom.

 

Jared takes his time cleaning off his mate.  His touch is reverent as he moves the washcloth over Jensen’s body, making sure to get every single bit of him.  Jensen shudders as Jared moves the washcloth over his back and butt, and when Jared goes to spread Jensen’s cheeks, the beta shudders and falls forward, bracing himself against the wall.

“Sensitive?” Jared asks, already knowing the answer.

Jensen nods his head and cants his ass up, presenting so pretty for Jared, and who is he to turn it down?  Jared runs the washcloth between Jensen’s cheeks, sweeping him gently up and down.  He drops the washcloth when Jensen starts to press back into his hand and slides his fingers into Jensen again.

The moan Jensen releases is pornographic, there’s no other way to describe it.  Jared starts up a rhythm, fucking Jensen with his fingers until he’s trembling so hard Jared’s afraid he might fall down.  He hooks his fingers forward and within a few strokes knows he’s found Jensen’s prostate as he starts clawing at the wall and his knees start to buckle.  Jared loops an arm around Jensen’s waist as he continues to bring him off, pushing in harder and faster.

And then Jensen’s coming apart in his arms, shaking and jerking as his cock empties itself again, come streaking Jensen’s heaving stomach.  Jared can’t stop himself from spinning Jensen around and pressing him into the wall.  Jensen hisses as his hot skin comes into contact with cold tile, and Jared feels a little bad about that, but he has to get his mouth on Jensen’s.

Their mouths collide in a crash of lips and teeth, and Jared licks into Jensen’s mouth, claiming it as thoroughly as he did his mate’s body not an hour before.  He rides the shockwaves of Jensen’s orgasm, feeling his mate’s pleasure as his kiss calms from brutal and hard and demanding, to softer and more languid.

They’re both panting hard when they break apart, and Jared smiles as Jensen looks up at him and gives him a small smile in return.  There are no words exchanged and none are needed.  They can both feel the depth of their newly forged bond and can see everything they need to know written on each other’s faces.

The water starts to go cold then, and Jared shuts it off hastily.  As they’re toweling off and moving for clean clothes, Jared speaks again.

“Breakfast?” he offers as he pulls out some of his smaller clothes for Jensen to wear.

“I’m starving,” Jensen agrees.  “And I know you are too.”

“The bond?” Jared asks.

“No, I can hear your stomach from over here,” Jensen says with a teasing grin that has Jared smiling like an idiot again. 

“Hey, come with me,” Jared says as he bumps into Jensen between third and fourth period.

 

“Where?” Jensen asks.  He’s not particularly worried about skipping as he’s heading to lunch at the moment.

 

“The fieldhouse is empty right now and I really want to make out with you,” Jared says.  “say you’ll come with me?”

 

“Alright,” Jensen agrees, gripping Jared’s hand with his own.  “I’ll come with you.”

 

Jared grins and drags them from the building, ducking out and making a break for the field house on the other end of the football field.  It’s dark inside and, as Jared had promised, completely empty.  They flick on one track of lights and Jared takes Jensen into a darker corner and presses him against the wall, taking Jensen’s face in his hands and kissing him soundly.

 

Jensen opens to Jared easily, curling his tongue around Jared’s and arching up against him as they each move their hands over each other’s bodies freely.  He doesn’t know if it’s his newly changed body or the bond that’s been coming to life between them, but Jensen craves Jared’s touch all the time.  He loves nothing more than the feel of Jared pressed against him.

 

A door bangs open, startling them apart and Jensen whirls around in time to see his uncle come around the corner, gun drawn.

 

“Jeff!” Jensen says, startled.  “Wha-what are you doing here?”

 

“You’ve been sneaking around, staying out late, not coming home,” Jeff says.  “You’ve never behaved like that so I figured I’d come see what you were up to.  Now I see that I had reason to be concerned.”

 

“What do you mean?” Jensen asks, dread gripping his gut like ice.

 

“Get away from that wolf, Jensen,” Jeff orders.

 

“What wo--”

 

“Don’t play dumb with me,” Jeff glowers.  “Step away from him now.”

 

“No,” Jensen says, staying between his uncle and Jared.  “He’s done nothing wrong.”

 

“Being what he is is wrong enough,” Jeff says.  “It’s why we’re here.”

 

“Why we’re here?” Jensen snaps.  “You knew?”

 

“I’ve known about the Padalecki Pack for years,” Jeff says.  “Just been waiting for you to get trained up.”

 

“So I could help you take them down,” Jensen accuses.

 

“No one’s been able to do it,” Jeff says.

 

“There’s a reason for that,” Jensen says.  “They’ve done nothing wrong.”

 

“Why are you defending them?” Jeff demands.  “After everything I’ve taught you, why stand in my way?”

 

“Because I’m one of them,” Jensen says, stepping back into Jared, who puts his hands on Jensen’s hips, holding him tight.

 

“You don’t have to do this,” Jared whispers so only Jensen can hear him.

 

“Yeah, I do,” Jensen says back.  “I want to be with you.”

 

“Have you lost your mind?” Jeff gapes, pulling their attention back to him.  “Are they coercing you?”

 

“No,” Jensen shakes his head.  “I love him,” he declares, wincing as Jared’s hold tightens enough to leave bruises.

 

“Has he bitten you yet?” Jeff asks, glaring at Jared over Jensen’s shoulder.

 

Jensen pulls the collar of his shirt down, exposing the bite Jared left.  There’s no mistaking the bite was done to him with him being nothing but willing.  The lines are pristine and it’s already healed, the color a dark pink that everyone in town will recognize for what it is.

 

“I’ll complete the turn on the next full moon,” Jensen states as he lets his shirt go.

 

“You’re dumber than I ever gave you credit for,” Jeff says and Jared snarls at the insult.

 

“It’s okay,” Jensen soothes him.  The words are mean, meant to hurt, but they don’t hold any meaning for Jensen.  Not anymore.

 

“If you lower your weapon and swear to leave my mate and my Pack alone forever, I’ll let you live,” Jared threatens.

 

“You think I’d walk away?  That I’d leave my nephew here with you?” Jeff asks.  “That I’d let you live after what you’ve done to him?”

 

“I asked for it!” Jensen interjects but Jeff is done speaking to him.

 

“You know who I am,” Jared says.

 

“You’re not Alpha yet,” Jeff spits.

 

“You know nothing,” Jared’s voice changes, deepens, and the raw power in it makes Jensen tremble with arousal, with pride.

 

He knows without having to look that Jared’s teeth are out and his eyes are glowing, daring Jeff to try him.  Jared doesn’t need his father to rescue him.  He’s formidable in his own right, and though Jensen hasn’t completed the transformation yet, he can feel the power of a young, strong Alpha that radiates from his mate.

 

“Jeff, if you don’t leave now, I won’t be able to protect you,” Jensen implores the older man, trying to reason with the only family he has left in the world.

 

“Jensen, we can save you.  There’s a cure,” Jeff says, turning his attention back to Jensen.

 

“I don’t want to be cured,” Jensen shakes his head.  “I wanted him to bite me, turn me.  I’m home now.  Jared is my home.  Can’t you see that?  I love him, and nothing you say or do will change that.”

 

“Love?” Jeff scoffs.  “You’re seventeen.  You don’t have a clue what love is, boy.”

 

“Maybe.  Maybe not,” Jensen says.  “But what I do know is that I feel something for him, with him, that I’ve never felt before.  Right now I can sense how close he is to me, how much he cares, how right this is.  I ache when we’re apart and it only goes away when he’s with me, by my side.  If that’s not love, then it doesn’t exist.”

 

Jensen steadies, feeling the hot anger pulsing through his veins cool as Jared slips his fingertips under the hem of Jensen’s shirt.  He knows that Jared’s got his back, will let him fight his way, but that he’s ready to protect his mate should he need to.

 

“So this is your choice,” Jeff says, narrowing his eyes.

 

“This is my choice,” Jensen confirms.

 

“Then this is mine,” Jeff states, moving to take aim at Jared.  “You see, if I shoot you first, Jared will kill me and then he’ll find some other human to make his bitch,” Jeff says and Jared snarls, but he doesn’t move as Jeff threatens Jensen again with the gun to keep him in line before moving it back to Jared, his mate having gotten the point.  “But you’re not a wolf yet.  You’ve not had your first moon.  So I can kill Jared and end his line here.”

 

“And what?  Turn me back?” Jensen demands.  “I asked Jared to turn me.  He’s my sire, my mate.  We’re bonded.  Who’s to say I won’t die with him?”

 

“Wouldn’t that be something?” Jeff says with a cold smile before turning his gaze back to Jared.

 

Jensen can see it now, the intent in his uncle's eyes, can almost hear the crack of the bullet, see its trajectory, feel the shockwaves as it rips through Jared’s chest, and he can’t let that happen.  Without sparing a thought other than Jared, he lunges forward, feeling all of the speed and strength of his new DNA tear through him as he leaps toward Jeff, jaws slamming shut around his wrist and taking the older man down.

 

There’s a scream and a clatter as the gun hits the floor.  Jensen holds on even as Jeff starts punching him and trying to dislodge him with his free hand, teeth tearing deeper the more the older man fights.  And then there’s a hand on his back, fingers stroking through his fur and calming him.  There’s a voice too, one he knows so well, telling him that it’s all right, it’s over, to listen and come back.

 

Jensen’s a bit confused at first.  Come back?  From where?  From what?  And that’s when he realizes that he’s shifted.  He lets go of Jeff immediately and backs away, tail tucked and ears pulled back, looking up at Jared.

 

“No need for that, mate,” Jared soothes him.  “I’m not angry.  But I do need you back on two legs.  Think you can do that for me?”

 

Jensen whines and drops his head lower.  He doesn’t even know how he managed this shift, let alone shifting back.

 

“It’s okay,” Jared says quickly.  “I’m going to help you.  I don’t like it, but I don’t see any other way right now.”

 

Jensen doesn’t know what Jared’s talking about but he really doesn’t care so long as he’s back in human form.  They seriously need to go over Shifting 101 before the full moon.

 

“Shift,” Jared commands, voice deeper and more commanding than Jensen’s ever heard him before.

 

There’s a flash in Jared’s eyes and then Jensen feels a prickle along his spine that turns into an itching sensation.  Before he knows it, he’s crouched on the floor in his human form again and Jared’s handing him a towel to cover himself with.

 

“How did you…?” Jensen asks, wrapping the towel around his hips and looking to Jared for an answer.

 

“As future Alpha of the Pack, I can command other wolves in my Pack to shift,” Jared says.  “It’s not something I’m really proud I can do, but it does come in handy.”

 

“I’ll say,” Jensen snorts.  “And what about him?” he nods to where his uncle is bleeding and moaning on the floor.

“That’s for my father to decide,” Jared says.

 

 

 

  


 

 

 

“Are you sure you don’t want your mom and I to come see you off?” Gerald asks as he helps Jared and Jensen load their last boxes into the bed of Jared’s truck.

 

Jensen smiles fondly at his new family as Jared fidgets a bit.  Jensen knows even without the bond that Jared’s having a hard time letting go of everything he’s known, but also that he wants to do this, strike out on his own and Jensen knows he’ll do well.  He can’t wait to watch Jared spread his wings and soar.

 

“Nah,” Jared shakes his head.  “We’ll be okay.  Besides, I’ve got Jensen to watch out for me and make sure I put everything where it’s supposed to be.”

 

Gerald and Jensen share a laugh then and Sheri scoffs in the background, rolling her eyes at her son.  Jensen knows Jared’s not nearly as sloppy and disorganized as he wants people to believe.

 

“You’ll call when you get there?” Sheri asks, stepping up next to Gerald as he wraps an arm around her shoulders.

 

“Of course, mama,” Jared replies, moving in and giving her a hug.

 

Their college is only an hour away, but it’s the furthest Jared’s ever been from his home and Jensen knows it scares his mate just a little bit.

 

“You too, Jensen,” Sheri insists, grabbing him and pulling him into a tight hug as well before Gerald moves in a does the same.  Sheri is crying softly when they pull apart, but she’s smiling too.  “Take care of each other,” she orders and they nod.  “And call at least twice a week.”

 

“We will, mama,” Jared agrees.

 

“And do your homework,” she continues.  “Don’t drink anything strange and don’t let anyone talk you into anything you don’t want to do.”

 

Jared chuckles and agrees, indulging her.  Jensen knows as well as Jared that no one, human or otherwise, could make an Alpha Heir do anything they didn’t want to do, but they’ll keep that bit to themselves for now.

 

“Oh, I’m going to miss you boys,” she says, hugging them each again.  “Now go before I change my mind and make you unpack everything and stay.”

 

“Love you, mama,” Jared says and Jensen nods, not quite ready for those kinds of feelings, though Jared’s mom is the closest thing to a mother he’s ever known.

 

“Dad,” Jared says, turning to his father, and Gerald hugs him tightly as well.

 

“Call us when you get settled in,” he says and Jared confirms that they will.

 

“Ready?” Jared asks, turning to Jensen.

 

“Very,” Jensen replies.

 

They get in the truck and wave to Jared’s parents as Jared puts the truck in drive and takes them out to the highway.

 

“So,” Jared says as he turns the truck onto the black top and accelerates.  “You and me, at college, in a dorm.”

 

“Yep,” Jensen grins, reaching over the console and linking his fingers with Jared’s.

 

He never thought his life would look like this, but now that he has it, he couldn’t imagine anything else.

**Author's Note:**

> http://luvmuffinfic.livejournal.com/18062.html for author's notes, if you're interested in that kind of thing. ^_^


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